Earshot Jazz Magazine
Critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter, Courtney Fortune releases her debut CD Speak Love on Aug. 18, 2009, through Origin Records. The album, produced by Grammy-nominated artist Chris Walden, features the rich tones of Fortune’s voice and several songs written by the singer. The tracks are a combination of genres, fusing jazz, pop and folk to create a unique sound. The music revitalizes and inspires loyal jazz patrons and gives depth to the current state of the pop genre. Courtney Fortune will be featured in the October issue of Glamour Magazine.
From a young age, Fortune began performing jazz tunes in Seattle, Wash., adapting her own jazz compositions and incorporating new elements from other genres. Her debut EP Almost Home, released in November 2006, was hailed by Earshot Jazz Magazine, calling Fortune's technique “a textured, sultry, arrestingly mature torchsinger's delivery." That same year, Fortune won the Second Annual Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Competition, which led to performances in Japan.
For Speak Love, Fortune collaborated with four-time Grammy-nominated composer/arranger Chris Walden. Walden and his acclaimed Chris Walden Big Band, who have performed with Michael Bulton, Paul Anka, Tierney Sutton and others, has now incorporated Fortune's performances into his repertoire. Fortune's original song, “Lost in the Memory of You," is a perfect example of her ability to seamlessly meld her musical influences into a bittersweet swing-inspired song.
At 20 years old, Fortune has already performed with industry luminaries. She has performed alongside Garrison Keillor for his venerable radio show A Prairie Home Companion, and received an award for outstanding musical achievement at USC's 2008 Dickens Dinner, where the USC student performed for legendary hitmakers Brian Wilson and Lamont Dozier.
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