According to singer-songwriter
Julia Fordham, Ella Fitzgerald set the standard when it comes to tackling standards
so she had to turn to other source material for her forthcoming collection,
“The Language of Love,” which will receive its U.S. and European release on
April 14 from Red River Entertainment with distribution via BFD/Sony RED.
“As the Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, has already covered
every traditional jazz song to perfection, we tried to find a new angle and
hopefully put a fresh twist on some of our favorite songs,” the British-born,
Los Angeles-based artist said.
Along with producer-arranger Grant Mitchell, Fordham culled
a set list of modern pop, rock and R&B classics and revamped them as if
they were pages from the Great American Songbook. The misty-voiced singer
seductively emotes nine signature hits from the likes of Blondie, Eurythmics,
Sting, The Beatles and Stevie Wonder in intimate acoustic jazz settings. She
also reconfigured her own debut hit, “Happy Ever After,” and introduces a pair
of new tunes - “Like You Used To Do” and “The Morning After (The Night With You)”
- that she penned for the occasion with Mitchell.
Throughout “The Language of Love,” Fordham regally plies her
deep-hued vocals on tracks that swing (“Call Me” and “Alone Again
(Naturally)”), seduce through sultry bossa nova grooves (“Who’s That Girl” and
“At Seventeen”), traverse a multicultural world music grid (“Happy Ever After”)
and pitter-patter gracefully to a Latin jazz rhythm embellished by a sterling
nylon guitar serenade by Ramon Stagnaro (“Fragile”). “I’m Not In Love” becomes
a stunning torch song while a stark depiction of “Eleanor Rigby” strikes a
hauntingly dramatic tone in a voice, piano and upright bass incarnation. “Sir
Duke” bops to a groovy jazz beat highlighted by Wonder’s original “Songs in the
Key of Life” tour trumpeter, Harry Kim. The lone tune taken from the Great
America Songbook era is “Moon River,” a timeless, heart-tugging beauty written
by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. As for the new originals, “Like You Used To
Do” is a steamy affair heated by soulful backing vocals from Judith Owen and
Sista Jean McClain. A taut rhythm section comprised of David Piltch (upright
bass), Herman Matthews (drums) and Ramon Yslas (percussion) construct a subtle
Latin vibe on “The Morning After (The Night With You).”
Two bonus tracks, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “Moon
River” orchestrated with strings, will be available exclusively with the
digital purchase of the album. Videos for “Call Me,” “Who’s That Girl,”
“Eleanor Rigby” and “At Seventeen” were created and will soon be made available
for viewing. Fordham will support “The Language of Love” with concert dates in
London on July 28 & 29 at The Strand at PizzaExpress Live, October 18 in
Los Angeles at Catalina Jazz Club and October 27 & 28 in New York City at
Joe’s Pub.
Fordham said she selected “The Language of Love” as the
album title because “it seemed to conjure up a romantic image and the seductive
feeling of the album.” The words are the opening lyrics of “Who’s That Girl”
and are mentioned in the bridge section of “Call Me.”
Although she grew up writing and singing folk music in clubs
since she was 14 in Portsmouth, England, Fordham discovered jazz shortly
thereafter and has always incorporated nuances of jazz throughout her recording
career that began with her eponymously-titled 1988 release. Her global hit
“Love Moves” was featured in 1992’s “The Butcher’s Wife” starring Demi Moore.
After relocating to Los Angeles two years later, three of Fordham’s albums were
produced by four-time Grammy winner Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock,
Madeleine Peyroux). Her 2005 live CD (“That’s Life”) and DVD (“That’s Live”)
featured a stellar ensemble including Klein on bass and Academy Award-winning
trumpeter/composer Mark Isham, and showcased Fordham dueting with multiple Grammy
winner India.Aire. For additional information, please visit
www.JuliaFordham.com.
“The Language of Love” contains the following songs:
“Call Me”
“Who’s That Girl”
“Happy Ever After”
“I’m Not In Love”
“Alone Again (Naturally)”
“Fragile”
“Like You Used To Do”
“Eleanor Rigby”
“The Morning After (The Night With You)”
“At Seventeen”
“Sir Duke”
“Moon River”
Bonus Tracks – Digital Only
“You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”
“Moon River (with strings)”
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