Soundbrush Records and Carol Fredette

A new record label is making itself prominent on the Gotham jazz scene. Soundbrush Records is a Latin Grammy Award-winning independent record label focused on latin, jazz and world music. Founded in 2004 by pianist/composer Roger Davidson to promote cross-cultural projects, the label has developed a unique client list. In addition to Davidson's own musical projects, Soundbrush artists include bandoneonist Raul Jaurena, Venezuelan flutist Marco Granados, Argentine guitarist Francisco Pancho Navarro and Klezmer star Frank London. A couple of months ago, veteran bassist David Finck made his recording debut as a leader and chose Soundbrush. And now the label has snared one of New York's vocal legends and produced one of the most notable sessions of the year.

Carol Fredette has long established herself as one of the favorite singers of Gotham's leading musicians. Whether it be performing big band charts with the likes of Sal Salvador, Neal Hefti and Larry Elgart or intimate group shows with such notables as Ron Carter, Steve Kuhn, Mel Lewis and John Scofield, when the gig is over the bandstand is always buzzing with awesome praise for her from the musicians. Versatility is a tired word among music writers but it must be employed when alluding to Fredette's vast Brazilian repertoire and her enormous success recording the hip humor of Dave Frishberg and Bob Dorough. This great breadth of conquests is one of the reasons Fredette has become one of Gotham's leading teachers of vocal musical aspirants.

So we have an adventurous new record company and a veteran chanteuse paired in a new release Everything In Time and the result is wondrous. The producing efforts of Roger Davidson, the musical accompaniment of exciting musicians such as Victor Lewis, Helio Alves, Barry Danielian, Bob Malach, and Leonardo Amuedo, the intriguing arrangements of David Finck and the deliberate care in choosing material have launched Carol Fredette to a new plateau in recording.

From the torrid opener (Dorough's "Without Rhyme or Reason") to standards such as Porter's "Dream Dancing" and Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight" to Brazilian classics such as Jobim's "Vivo Sonhando" to Kenny Loggins' "Wait A Little While" Fredette gives listeners a lesson in the art of performing a comprehensive repertoire.

All of the elements are there—poetic phrasing, emotional intensity, and sheer musicality.

Happy New Year to Carol Fredette and a hearty salute to Soundbrush records.