Alone Together
by Carol Welsman
Martini in the Morning holds a very special place in my heart. Firstly, I can’t remember a radio station that has cared as much about my music, ever. There is an interesting story around our beginnings. Brad Chambers was on-air host elsewhere prior to the inception of MITM, and he discovered my music through a mutual friend-who dropped my CD off with him and said “Listen to this!” Brad was already aware of the song “On a Slow Boat to China” that I recorded in 2003 on my “The Language of Love” album, and had likely spun it previously. So, when David Foster sent Renee Olstead’s new CD with a five part vocal version of “Slow Boat” with vocal parts sung by me, he immediately remembered the connection. Since then, I have been featured regularly on MITM, and I really enjoy the ability to go in-studio and do live interviews! Brad Chambers, Mother Miriam, and all the fans of MITM, thank you for your support and for keeping vocal jazz and great music alive.
I’m excited about my 11th album release, Alone Together! The official CD release date was September 18, 2015 and the digital release was August 7, 2015.
This is my truest to the jazz art form to date. My producer Corey Allen suggested we record in New York for this one, and I am proud to be accompanied by some of the best musicians in the world: Rufus Reid on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, Wallace Roney on trumpet, and Jay Azzolina on guitar.
1) Day by Day: I had originally done an arrangement of this back in the 90s as a samba, and I was pleased to see how it would work as a swing tune. It’s fun playing this one because the lyric has so much more breathing room to give it more meaning.
2) It Might As Well Be Spring: again this is a song that has lived a long time in my repertoire and I never recorded it. Conceptualizing it as a jazz waltz proved to be an interesting way to go. It was also inspired by a vocal rendition by Michelle Weir thus moving through two key centers.
3) Sand in My Shoes: The owner of the Ivy restaurant in LA introduced me to this song, which I had never heard. She’s a huge jazz fan. I felt instantly in love with its playful lyric and medium swing groove.
4) My Ship: Of all the songs on the album, this one is a particular favorite, as the lyric clearly suggested a different time meter of 5/4, sounds of water transformed into music, and the arrangement created itself.
5) Alone Together: the title track, written by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz, is yet another song that I learned back in my Berklee College of Music days. Its lyrics suggest a midnight mood that was too irresistible not to record. The correlation between vocal and piano for me create a double meaning here, as I am alone together with my music.
6) Disappointed: I seem to be repeating myself and speaking of going back, but the truth is I do go back to my jazz routes on this whole album. Disappointed is a Charlie Parker solo with lyrics by Eddie Jefferson. He is the only other one I ever heard sing this song and it is one of the most fun to sing. The cord progression is based on Gershwin’s Lady be Good.
7) If the Moon Turns Green: I learned the song when I was 17 and I have no idea why I waited until now to record it. It’s a gem and is highly under-exposed in the music world.
8) You Taught My Heart To Sing: this is the second time I recorded the song, and this time it’s for a very special friend who I lost to cancer a few years back. She was instrumental in helping me develop my craft as a jazz artist, so the lyrics really hit home.
9) The Blues Are Out of Town: Marcia Hillman, who has become a good friend, wrote this song with Joe Derise. Never have I heard a blues lyric that gives the exact reverse message of the typical blues song. Very clever. I hope you enjoy this one.
10) I Didn’t Know About You: Duke Ellington write this beautiful ballad, and again, it’s a beauty that has definitely not been over recorded. Duke was Dad’s favorite, so this one is for you Papa.
11) Killing Time: Caroline Leigh wrote this song, knowing it would be her last. She wrote it with Cy Coleman, and 10 days later she passed away. It’s a tough one for me to get through at the best of times.
I hope this collection of songs evoke the gamut of emotion for you that they have for me.
To purchase Carol’s album, click here.