Jazz Country Amy Cervini featuring Jesse Lewis and Matt Aronoff

• 1Blue Moon02:52
• 2Wallflower Lonely02:59
• 3Song for the Mira05:14
• 4Frim Fram Sauce03:16
• 5I'm So Lonesome03:42
• 6Calling You05:03
• 7Go Gently to the Water04:25
• 8Penguin Dance04:00
• 9Smile04:27
• 10Je Danse Avec La Neige03:18
• 11After the Goldrush05:44
• 12I Still Miss Someone03:55
• 13Before He Cheats04:12
• 14Drivin' Cryin' Missin' You02:34
• Total Runtime55:41

Info for Jazz Country

Free-spirited, genre-defying singer Amy Cervini – praised as “an honest, self-assured and honey-dripping presence” by All Music Guide – continues to broaden the idea of what a jazz singer can be with her fourth album, Jazz Country. Jazz Country is a collection of “North Americana” that finds the Toronto-bred, New York-based singer in league with guitarist Jesse Lewis and bassist Matt Aronoff, as well as such guests as jazz clarinet superstar Anat Cohen and beloved theatrical singer-songwriter Nellie McKay, among others. Cervini and company perform country, folk and pop tunes with a sense of storytelling, melody and atmosphere to the fore. Jazz Country features songs by the likes of Hank Williams (“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”) and Johnny Cash (“I Still Miss Someone”), Neil Young (“After the Gold Rush”) and Carrie Underwood (“Before He Cheats”). There are also kindred-spirit originals, inspired novelties and irresistible versions of evergreens, including “Blue Moon,” “Smile” and the theme from Baghdad Café, “Calling You.” Time Out New York has praised Cervini’s work for “tearing down boundaries between old and new jazz styles, rock, pop, country and more – a reminder of Duke Ellington’s old axiom that there’s just two kinds of music, good and bad.”

We had been performing together as a trio for at least 3 years before we recorded this and these arrangements came about over that time. We had a lot of really exciting special guests join us for the session; Nellie McKay sang and played ukulele, Marty Ehrlich played alto saxophone, Anat Cohen played clarinet, Nadje Noordhuis played trumpet, Oded Lev-Ari played piano and Gary Versace played accordion. Matt Wilson produced the session and Oded Lev-Ari did all the post-production work. We recorded at Sear Sound in NYC with Brian Montgomery engineering and mixing and Mark Wilder mastered.

Behind the scenes: “Wallflower Lonely” features Nellie McKay on ukulele and yours truly on saxophone. In case you didn’t know, I actually went to New England Conservatory as an alto sax player. I decided to focus on my singing by the end of my time there but continued to play occasionally. I wanted to try to play on this tune and we recorded it at the end of a day where no one was really left in the studio. Luckily, Matt Aronoff was there to give me guidance as I recorded. He mostly told to me to play less. If you are a musician you understand how wise and helpful those words can be. Thank you, Matt.

“Je Danse Avec La Neige” is a tune that I wrote lyrics to with music by my friend Aaron Kotler. He called me a few months after I had Ethan and asked if I could write some lyrics in French for a commercial pitch he was submitting. I was starved to use my brain after 2 months of baby-land and said yes immediately. I needed some help with the grammar but managed to wipe the cobwebs out and get these lyrics happening. It was for a Macy’s commercial so the working title was “Macy’s Backstage” for the longest time. We didn’t get the commercial but I’m happy because it meant I got to keep the tune for myself!

Amy Cervini, vocals, saxophone
Jesse Lewis, guitar, vocals
Matt Aronoff, double bass
Guests:
Anat Cohen, clarinet (4, 10)
Mary Ehrlich, saxophone (5)
Oded Lev-Ari, piano (7, 8)
Nellie McKay, voice & ukelele (2)
Nadje Noordhuis, trumpet (12)
Gary Versace, accordion (8)

Recorded, edited and mixed by Brian Montgomery at Sear Studios, New York
Co-produced by Amy Cervini & Oded Lev-Ari
Produced by Matt Wilson

Amy Cervini
The New York Times has described Amy Cervini as “a thoughtful and broad-minded jazz singer," and DownBeat Magazine called her Anzic album Digging Me, Digging You: A Tribute to Blossom Dearie “a gem." Cervini's two previous solo albums - Love Fool (2009, Orange Grove) and Famous Blue (2007, Orange Grove) - saw the vocalist range interpretively from Cole Porter, Billie Holiday and Leonard Cohen to the Cardigans, Feist and Depeche Mode. Live, she has performed in clubs and concert halls from Toronto to Tel Aviv and in prime New York venues from the 55 Bar, Cornelia Street Cafe, Joe's Pub and the Knitting Factory to the Jazz Standard, Birdland, the Blue Note and Carnegie Hall. The Ottawa Citizen declared that “the ex-pat Canadian sings terrific, gimmick-free jazz [with a] poise, intelligence and an unforced honesty that makes every song ring like it was her own."

Booklet for Jazz Country