Robin Simone: Robin Simone Hollywood Orchestra

Three-time charting singer-songwriter and band leader Robin Simone fronts a seventeen-piece big band and dedicates her debut album "To those artistic dreamers, the lovers of Hollywood films and its incredible music." An industry musician who has worked on various national TV shows and who was inspired at a young age by her loving mother who sang songs from the movies, Simone chose this special concept album to share her musical dream for all to remember and enjoy the music of the movies.

Though the singer's main instrumental support comes from her entire orchestra, her immediate backup group is a trio comprised of pianist Mike Greenwood, bassist Isabel Dobrev and drummer Liam Wallace.

The album was designed to make it feel like watching a favorite Broadway show. The music opens up with an "Overture" and progresses through several familiar songs from The Great American Songbook before coming to an "Intermission," then rejoining the show for the last chapter and concluding with the "Curtain Call." However, that is not the finale as that honor goes to "Swingin' on a Star with Joe (Tribute to Ella)" a raucous, playful and rambunctious way to sign off and close the curtains.

However, between the beginning and the end of the album there is a lot of sensational music to be heard, starting with "The Hollywood Medley" where Simone's sultry vocals claim the familiar "Hurray for Hollywood," the obligatory "No Business Like Show Business" and "That's Entertainment" with the big band in support playing loud and lively. The singer proceeds to belt out two incredible versions of the of the 1948 musical Kiss Me, Kate Cole Porter song "So in Love" as well as an emotional performance of the Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer classic "Come Rain or Come Shine" from the Broadway play St. Louis Woman. She returns with another Porter classic from the 1936 musical with a big band splash of the standard "It's De-Lovely" with propulsive statements from the band accompanying the leader on another beautiful interpretation of the classic. Songs of love changes the theme of the tunes beginning with an emotional performance on "Everything Must Change," "The Windmills of Your Mind" from French composer Michel Legrand introduced in the 1968 movie The Thomas Crown Affair and finally a beautiful interpretation of the Harold Arlen/Ira Gershwin "The Man That Got Away" first introduced in the 1954 film A Star is Born,

If one can appreciate the music of a swinging big band with a superior vocalist leading the way, combined with a respectful and tasteful treatment of unforgettable songs from the American Songbook, then this recording is a must. Robin Simone is a dazzling singer. Add to this a powerful ensemble to drive the music as a supporting cast and it is like discovering a recipe for success and that is what the Robin Simone Hollywood Orchestra (RSHO) provides on this remarkable debut.

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