Something big happened in July!

Last month, something significant happened…I finished the recording sessions for a couple of projects that I first began dreaming up back in 2015. That's nearly 10 years of perseverance and dedication and refinement! It’s a lot to process. Before posting about it, I needed some time for reflection and recalibration.

First off, as we face a new era of AI generative artwork and music, I have to say that nothing like these recordings will ever be made by artificial intelligence. These songs were masterfully written by brilliant composers and lyricists during a time of great turmoil, following the 1918 Influenza Pandemic and between the two World Wars. They were written to uplift, delight and inspire. And even now, nearly 100 years later, they serve as a beacon through dark times, throwing down the gauntlet of hope on the altar of love. I am proud of my research skills that helped me to find these songs and I am proud to have curated these two collections. This body of work is beautiful. It is filled with so much love and good energy. Good energy that goes back to the last century and forward to the future, where I will share these songs with a new audience. I am so proud of my singing and producing efforts. Each song has the energetic imprint of the artists who played on it, as well as the unique collaborative blending of everyone together. It is not perfect and it is therein where the beauty lies: In the humanity and in the deliberate, thoughtful creation, and in the infusion of love. Each song is a monologue, each lyric is an examination of the human spirit and all of it is infused with joy and dreams and a collaborative spirit. Knowing this gives me hope for the future of art. At this juncture in time, the artistic community is worried about their livelihoods in an uncertain future of AI, but as a practicing optimist, I will not allow myself to dwell in that space of fear. I know the value and importance of this work. I have faith in what we as artists have to offer and in the desire for each of us to delight in human stories. Storytelling through song is paramount to our human experience. Music speaks to us at a mysterious, vibrational, energetic level that reverberates and touches the human soul. That mystery cannot be replicated by a machine, no matter how sophisticated.

As I said, I am a "practicing" optimist. It is a skill that grows over time. I have to put this optimism into daily practice. Somedays its is easier to exercise this muscle than others. But faith and community keep me grounded. I’m grateful to have people I can count on and the ones who are devoted for the long run are especially treasured. Over the years, it is understandable that most everyone who contributed towards these two projects have moved on, but I am blessed to have this dear devoted friend, my producer, jazz guitarist, David Boswell, who has stayed the course with me. Together we’re seeing this come to fruition. I’m so grateful we’re here to see it through & looking forward to sharing it with you. Granted we're not there yet, the release is still a ways off, but I want to acknowledge what it has taken to get to this juncture: Tenacity, resilience and faith.

Let’s rewind this a bit… In 2015 I released my “Winter Was Warm” album and thought that I would follow up with a 3 song EP for Valentine’s. In fact I had a plan to create a whole series of seasonal themed EPs that featured rarely heard obscure jazz age era tunes. So, I began researching and I kept finding terrific tunes. I stopped at 50, tried them on for size, culled them to 32 and hired the same talented team of musicians I used on the previous album to create arrangements and record this body of music. Each of these musicians are in fact indie artists working on their own respective projects, so navigating schedules was tricky. The music was recorded between 2017-2019, but some of the music contained “scratch” (or temporary) vocals that would eventually need to be replaced. Which is easy enough to do, but then a few things happened…

Between 2018-2019, there was a period of loss. Over the course of about 18 months, we had 8 deaths in our family, which left us reeling. Many were the family elders, but there were some family members who left way too early and tragically. While navigating my own grief, as a mother, my job was to help my kids process this loss.

Then in 2019, I faced my own mortality as I went through cancer, had two surgeries and radiation therapy. When I came out on the other end, we were in the pandemic lockdown and my producer, David was facing his own serious health challenges, which ultimately led to a heart transplant.

In truth, the intervening years and experiences have added so much more depth and richness and subtext to my vocals and interpretation. I’m also delighted that my “stage husband” Michael Marlen-Starr has joined me on one of these albums. Both albums live in the "Love Outshines the Moon-iverse" -- one collection has songs that served as a foundation and inspiration to the creation of this jukebox musical and the other album is in essence, Act 2 of the show: The "film" that Pammie and Arthur go to Hollywood to write.

As I said, we’re not there yet. There’s still mixing and mastering and the myriad of tasks that go into actually releasing music, but what a privilege it is to be able to create this and to know that despite all the slings and arrows, I’m still on track and able to see the finish line.

This next part may at times feel daunting, but I have faith that I can do it; that I am supported in my endeavors and that the right people, places, opportunities are all lined up for this to happen in the perfect order and time frame. And I’m grateful, ever grateful, for it all.

I hope my story of tenacity, resilience and faith will help inspire others not to give up. Keep going, put in the work, surround yourself with positive minded, happy people, do more of what you love and envision a brighter thriving future together. A rising tide raises all ships.

Xoj