New Album Released: A WAY WITH WORDS

January 7, 2013

Karen’s new album, a two-disk compilation of songs by esteemed songwriter Carroll Coates, is called “A Way With Words.” It features twenty tracks, some of which are old standards written for Frank Sinatra, and some of which have never before been recorded.

This album follows up Karens eponymous 2010 release which received rave reviews in Jazz Times (who called her “one of the finest American jazz vocalists), DownBeat (who gave the CD a rare four and one-half stars out of five, and who called her “the spiritual grand-child of hipness highness Annie Ross), Cadence Magazine (who said that she “is, indeed, a jazz singer, with pinpoint intonation and the ability to phrase and scat with audacity), and Jazz Magazine of France (who named her one of the “101 Essential Chanteuses” of all time). SaxistRichie Cole has said that Karen is a true professional, and trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos says she is one of the best musicians he’s ever worked with.

On “A Way With Words,” Karen again sets herself within each song as an equal with the other instrumentalists.  Her arrangements, as well as the arrangements done by pianist Jason Wanner, allow the music and lyrics to be the feature, and the voice and other instruments share equal responsibilty in bringing the song to life.  She is joined by some stellar players, such as Richie Cole, Gilbert Castellanos, Jason Wanner, Greg Varlotta, Eva Scow, and Nate Ketner.

Songwriter Carroll Coates has never had an entire album recorded of his music, so this marks an important moment in his career as well.  Mr Coates, now in his 80’s, began his career as a young man in London, when Frank Sinatra recorded his tune “London by Night,” and then from there he went on to pen hundreds of tunes, recorded by many of the greatest vocalists of all time, including Tony Bennet and  Sarah Vaughan.