The Story

People often ask me who my favorite singer is, and my answer is always, without hesitation, Mark Murphy. He was “the real deal.” With Mark’s passing, I was moved to honor him musically with this recording.

  I joined musical forces with pianist John DiMartino on this project. He too is a huge Mark Murphy fan and we are very excited to see this endeavor take on its own life. You certainly won't need to be a Mark fan to be moved by the music I’ve chosen for this recording.

 Mark’s music went through many changes as he grew and matured. I've recorded the songs that most affected me over the years as an artist. These compositions nourished me and gave birth to my jazz soul.

  Mark grew up in Fulton, NY, not far from Fair Haven NY, where I’ve been living for many years. After getting to know him on and off the bandstand, I was thrilled to find out he spent many summers with his family in Fair Haven and he adored Little Sodus Bay, which inspired him to write the lyrics to “Song for the Geese.” The song has a profound place in my heart. As I worked on developing this recording, I gazed out my window on the bay and drew love and inspiration.

  Some cuts we chose are Mark Murphy classics. Randy Brecker joined us for Body and Soul, Red Clay and Vera Cruz, and as he did on Mark's original recordings of these tracks.

When John and I developed the material, we agreed to keep the integrity of some of these numbers while I joyfully took liberties with some of the others.

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As a young jazz singer, I was blessed to be supported by a well-run indie label that helped build my career and established my presence on the national and international jazz scene. Over the ensuing decades, I’ve seen the music industry mutate. Today the challenges of the digital age can put tremendous stress on the recording artist, but it has also brought new opportunities, such as crowdfunding. Although no longer a source of significant income, even for many established popular artists, the need for releasing new recordings is still essential for staying alive in the business. It’s important to document one’s artistry, and it’s a hook for getting booked and staying in the game. It heightens awareness, it generates work, and emotionally speaking, making recordings is what keeps artists alive, this ability to share their art of spontaneous creation and love.  

Enjoy this video, produced byTom Emmi, producer of the popular award-winning jazz television series Studio Jams.   You'll get a wonderful insight to the story behind this project.The Kickstarter mentioned is over.