Shirley Crabbe

Artist Information

Biography

Dazzling Debut By Stylish Vocalist Shirley Crabbe,
Who’s Making the Most Out of Her Second Chance

* Featuring Crabbe with Donald Vega, Jim West, John Burr, Alvester Garnett, Brandon Lee, Dave Glasser, Matt Haviland and Special Guest Houston Person *

Shirley Crabbe knows what it means to be blessed. When an operation on her vocal chords gave her a second chance at a career as a singer, she plunged back into the jazz scene and jump started her career, earning a series of awards including placing in the top five at the 2010 Jazz Mobile "Best of the Best" vocal competition. The release of her debut album “Home” announces the arrival of a major new artist who invests each plush, rounded note with the love and conviction of someone deeply grateful to be pursuing her calling.

Featuring nine songs, “Home” opens with Crabbe’s soaring arrangement of Leonard Bernstein’s “Lucky To Be Me,” a tune that could easily serve as her theme song. Houston Person’s sinewy soul-drenched tenor sax solo does more than compliment Crabbe’s lustrous voice. Since the start of his 35-year bandstand communion with the late, sorely missed Etta Jones (who mentored Crabbe), Person has often been found keeping company with jazz’s finest singers, and his presence here feels like a benediction.

Defining herself through a savvy mix of material, Crabbe isn’t afraid to tackle some well-worn standards. She effortlessly navigates trombonist Matt Haviland’s brisk and sassy arrangement of “Detour Ahead,” while her arrangement of “Summertime” transforms the lullaby into a rousing, wake-the-baby West African polyrhythmic celebration. But Crabbe is also keen to find undiscovered treasures, and she hits pay dirt again and again by casting a wide net.

“I love the American Songbook,” Crabbe says. “It’s so hard to find things that everybody hasn’t done already, but there are treasures out there if you look beyond the usual jazz sources.”

Case in point is the album’s title track, a sumptuous and unaccountably neglected ballad from “The Wiz.” Crabbe’s stunning arrangement of McCoy Tyner’s exquisite composition “You Taught My Heart to Sing,” which features a unabashedly romantic lyric by legendary songwriter Sammy Cahn, is another standout, as is her lustrous take on Roland Hanna’s “Seasons,” a tune the piano master wrote for Sarah Vaughan’s classic 1982 album “Crazy And Mixed Up.”

Crabbe turns Carole King’s “So Far Away” into an ache-filled lament far darker than the original recording, and makes a convincing case that Stephen Sondheim’s “Not While I’m Around” is an overlooked gem ripe for jazz interpretation, infusing the ballad with a tenderness that would be chilling in its original “Sweeny Todd” context. She demonstrates an equally judicious ear on Oscar Brown Jr.’s “Strong Man,” a rendition inspired by Abbey Lincoln’s classic 1957 Riverside recording “That’s Him.” Haviland supplied the sturdy arrangement, and Houston Person contributes another lyrical solo.

Possessing a voice as rich and plush as any singer on the scene, Crabbe describes herself as a work in progress, but her maturity informs every song she explores. She never presses to show off her conservatory technique, or bends a note to sell a sentiment. While she’s been known to scat in performances, she eschews vocal flights here, concentrating on rendering each melody with precision and care.

“I always feel I’m just a singer that likes to sing jazz, more than a jazz vocalist,” Crabbe says. “I love singing classical music, when my whole body is resonating. Intellectually I love it, but with jazz I just feel like I’m free. I can rely on some technique, but I can forget it too, so it’s more about color, flexibility and musical ideas.”

Finding the right accompanists has been an essential part of Crabbe’s creative process. She’s attracted a cast of stellar young musicians, including pianists Jim West and Nicaraguan-born, Los Angeles-raised Donald Vega, a Juilliard graduate who has recorded with guitarist Anthony Wilson, tenor saxophonist Bennie Wallace and bass legend Al McKibbon. As the album’s music director and co-producer, Vega played an essential role in the project, keeping it on track with a steady stream of wise musical and career council. “He is a generous musician and a great advisor,” Crabbe says.

Providing the kind of sophisticated and sensitive support that singer’s long for is the rhythm section tandem of drummer Alvester Garnett, a supple player best known for his extensive work with violinist Regina Carter, and veteran bassist John Burr. Horn players Haviland, Dave Glasser and Brandon Lee, whose “Not While I’m Around” trumpet solo serves as an ideal foil for Crabbe, contribute tasteful voicings and brass textures.

“Matt’s a good friend, and he really came through with some beautiful arrangements,” Crabbe says. “The musicians seem excited, and I’m hoping that the CD is the beginning for us.”

Born in the Bronx, Crabbe moved with her family to suburban Rockland County, about half an hour north of Manhattan, when she was 11. Growing up in a Caribbean family—her parents hail from the British West Indies—she was surrounded by music and dance. Crabbe sang in church, and first became intrigued by jazz as a teenager when she saw Ella Fitzgerald’s brief but thrilling appearance with Abbott and Costello in 1942’s “Ride ‘Em Cowboy” singing her hit “A-Tisket A-Tasket.” Up until college her formal training focused on operatic technique and repertoire, but once she started studying voice at Northwestern University she joined a band with a jazzy R&B feel influenced by Steely Dan.

When she returned to New York to continue her classical studies at Manhattan School of Music, she also took advantage of the city’s singularly rich jazz resources. While exploring classic recordings by Ella, Carmen, Billie and Sarah, she attended several workshops produced by Cobi Narita where she performed with veteran masters like Harold Mabern and Jamil Nasser and got positive encouragement and advice from Etta Jones and Dakota Staton. But just as she was finishing her MA and breaking into the club scene, she suffered a debilitating vocal chord injury.

“I kept singing for a while, but eventually my voice became unusable,” Crabbe says. “I couldn’t sustain anything. I really had to face the possibility that I would never be able to sing again. I had to try to refocus my brain on what makes a singer a singer. Eventually in 2006 I wound up having surgery, and 2007 I started singing again. I’m really just starting all over again.”

During her years off the scene, Crabbe focused on other avenues for exploring her love of music, and which led to teaching music to children. Since regaining her voice, she has appeared in several stage productions, including “Coming to the Mercy Seat” at Shetler Studio’s Theater 54 and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at the Elmwood Theater. She continues to study jazz masters and pioneering popular singers, re-immersing herself in the music of her first inspiration, Ella Fitzgerald, and the classic recordings of Ethel Waters. She’s still honing her craft and developing her approach, but “Home” leaves no doubt that Crabbe has arrived. She’s an artist overflowing with soul who has found the ideal repertoire for expressing her gift.

Instrumentation

Piano
Horn
Bass
Percussion

Discography

Home - Release date: September 29, 2011

Official Website

http://www.shirleycrabbe.com

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Lucky To Be Me
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• You Taught My Heart To Sing
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• Home
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• Seasons
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• Detour Ahead
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• Strong Man
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• Not While I'm Around
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• So Far Away
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• Summertime
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Video

Summertime - Live at the Metropolitan Rm, NYC

Photo Gallery

Press

• Downbeat Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  "Crabbe's almost-Ella Fitzgerald vibe glows with sunshiney takes on "Lucky To Be Me," "You Taught My..."Crabbe's almost-Ella Fitzgerald vibe glows with sunshiney takes on "Lucky To Be Me," "You Taught My Heart To SIng" and, especially , Carole King's "So Far Away."

• CD Discoveries of the Week - Marc Meyers Review [+ Show ]
  

  CD discoveries of the week. Vocalist Shirley Crabbe has a big, wide-open optimistic style that's rem...CD discoveries of the week. Vocalist Shirley Crabbe has a big, wide-open optimistic style that's reminiscent of a young, excited Sarah Vaughan. Crabbe's honest, swinging attack is fully evident on Home 51OxQyedV-L._SL500_AA300_(MaiSong). Backed on select tracks by tenor saxophonist Houston Person, Crabbe runs through songs that are perfectly tailored to her barefoot-in-the-grass style—Lucky to Be Me, You Taught My Heart to Sing, Roland Hanna's Seasons, Detour Ahead, Not While I'm Around, Oscar Brown's Strong Man and Carole King'sSo Far Away. This is a gorgeous album from a lovely singer—proving that vocalists can indeed choose lesser-known gems rather than adhering to glue-factory Songbook fare.

• Shirley Crabbe: Home - Edward Blanco Review [+ Show ]
  

  Shirley Crabbe: Home (2011) EDWARD BLANCO, Published: October 30, 2011 Shirley Crabbe: Home ...Shirley Crabbe: Home (2011)
  EDWARD BLANCO,
  Published: October 30, 2011
  
  Shirley Crabbe: Home
  
  In 2006, jazz singer Shirley Crabbe suffered from a vocal cord injury, not knowing if she would ever be able to sing again. Home is her long-awaited debut, documenting a successful return appropriately acknowledged in the opening Leonard Bernstein piece "Lucky To Be Me." Her remarkable performance gives no clue to the nature of her prior condition, revealing instead a voice that caresses lyrics of ballads with emotion and projects swinging tunes with power. Inspired by the singing of the great Ella Fitzgerald and mentored by Etta Jones, her stylish vocals are more reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan. In fact, the inclusion here of Roland Hanna's "Seasons," originally written for Vaughan, may be an indirect reference to this comparison.
  
  With a warm approach to the music, her smooth vocals seem a perfect fit for voicing soft ballads as she does here. The first track opens the door for much of the set's laidback, light material, capturing her plush lyrical tone on the title song, "Seasons" and the majority of the nine-piece repertoire. Trombonist Matt Haviland provides the arrangements on "Home" and "Strong Man," where saxophonist Houston Person makes a guest appearance, as he does on the opener.
  
  Crabbe sings with heartfelt emotion on the last two ballads, "Not While I'm Around" and Carole King's pop classic, "So Far Away." McCoy Tyner's "You Taught My Heart To Sing" makes the first break with the album's balladic theme, ushering in a brisk melody featuring Nicaraguan-born/Los Angeles-raised pianist Donald Vega, who also plays an influential part as the album's producer. The singer has no trouble with "Detour Ahead," the second non-ballad piece of the set, with well-placed instrumentals by Vega and alto saxophonist Dave Glasser.
  
  Offering a glimpse of the singer's talents as an arranger, "Summertime" is the set's finale and final non-ballad, given an interestingly new read by Crabbe, where the band claims a good portion of the song, including a few bars of Latin rhythms for a truly original interpretation of this Dorothy Heyward and Gershwin brothers jazz standard.
  
  Armed with classical training from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, a passion for jazz and a second chance, Shirley Crabbe is the newest songbird to arrive on the jazz scene, coming Home with a well-conceived and highly-engaging debut sure to propel this gifted artist to a new level of attention.
  
  Track Listing: Luck To Be Me; You Taught My Heart To Sing; Home; Seasons; Detour Ahead; Strong Man; Not While I'm Around; So Far Away; Summertime.
  
  Personnel: Shirley Crabbe: vocals; Jim West: piano; Donald Vega: piano (2, 3, 9); Jon Burr: bass; Alvester Garnett: drums; Brandon Lee: trumpet (7); Dave Glasser: alto saxophone, flute; Matt Haviland: trombone.
  
  Record Label: Self Produced | Style: Vocal
  
  Shirley Crabbe Profile | Follow Shirley Crabbe

• CD Reviews - Shirley Crabbe HOME [+ Show ]
  

  By Curtis Davenport “Shirley Crabbe? Never heard of her…” That was my thought when I first picked ...By Curtis Davenport
  “Shirley Crabbe? Never heard of her…”
  That was my thought when I first picked up
  her CD, Home, a couple of weeks ago. Then I
  listened to Ms. Crabbe sing. An hour later, I was
  scrambling to educate myself. Here’s some of
  what I now know – Shirley Crabbe was inspired
  to sing jazz when she heard Ella Fitzgerald sing
  “A Tisket, A-Tasket” in an old Abbott and
  Costello film (Ride ‘em Cowboy) on TV. She
  then got her Bachelors in Music from Northwestern
  University and followed that up by
  studying voice at the Manhattan School of Music;
  singing classical music in school during the
  day and then singing jazz in NYC clubs at night.
  She is also an actress, having appeared in numerous
  productions and she also once opened for the
  late, great Abbey Lincoln during one of her New
  York engagements. And there’s one other thing
  about Shirley Crabbe that I know – the lady can
  sang!
  For the uninformed among you, there is a
  difference between those who “sing” and those
  who can “sang”. Those who can “sang”, cause a
  smile to come to your face and occasional goosebumps
  when they vocalize. The world of jazz
  these days is unfortunately, littered with singers,
  but those who can “sang” are still a rare breed.
  Shirley Crabbe is one of them. Understand that
  in my book, those who can “sang” aren’t necessarily
  those who employ the type of amateurish
  vocal histrionics often heard on “American Idol”
  or “The Voice”, instead they are those who have
  a good voice, an understanding of the meaning
  of their lyric and an ability to interpret that lyric
  in a way that makes you feel the song they are
  singing. On Home, Ms. Crabbe scores high
  marks in all three of those categories.
  The song selection on Home consists
  mostly of well known songs, but with a couple
  of exceptions, they aren’t selections that have
  been over performed. She is backed by a collection
  of solid New York based jazzmen, including
  pianist Jim West, the terrific bassist John Burr,
  drummer Alvester Garnett and saxophonist Dave
  Glasser. There are also two appearances by the
  legendary Houston Person, on “Lucky to Be Me”
  and “Strong Man” and it’s no accident that those
  are two of the disc’s best cuts. “Strong Man”, the
  Oscar Brown, Jr. song closely associated with
  Ms. Lincoln is given a fresh coat of paint here,
  with a pleasant walking tempo, courtesy of
  Reeves) and Mr. Person’s still appealing tenor.
  “Detour Ahead” is also quite good, recast with a
  light, up-tempo bossa beat and nice solo turns by
  Glasser and West. Though “Summertime” belongs
  squarely in the category of “overperformed
  jazz songs”, the version here is quite
  effective, due to a strong and slightly edgy arrangement
  by Ms. Crabbe. Burr again proves
  that he is worth every penny for those who chose
  to hire him. You can virtually feel Burr pushing
  the arrangement on. There is also great piano
  work here by Donald Vega. “Summertime” allows
  the album to close as strongly as it began.
  Home is a very impressive debut album.
  Though I hadn’t heard of Shirley Crabbe before,
  I’m sure that I will remember her now.
  

• Shirley Crabbe: Home - Scott Albin Review [+ Show ]
  

  10/02/11 • Albums • By Scott Albin Home-- Shirley Crabbe Although Home is Shirley Crabbe's d...10/02/11 • Albums • By Scott Albin
  Home-- Shirley Crabbe
  
  Although Home is Shirley Crabbe's debut CD, in a way it is a culmination of her comeback as well. Crabbe endured vocal chord surgery in 2006, from which she has gradually bounced back. With her prior vocal, operatic and classical studies, her musical theater experience, and early guidance from the likes of Etta Jones and Dakota Staton, the singer now appears ready to finally fulfill her potential. Her impressive new CD certainly points to that being the case.
  
  On the opening "Lucky to Be Me," you are immediately struck by Crabbe's lilting, buoyant voice, and her clear enunciation, relaxed rhythmic sense, and keen interpretive skill. Even the veteran Houston Person seems to respond specifically to the singer's style and artistry in both the tone and phrasing of his tenor sax solo. The following memorable version of "You Taught My Heart to Sing (Sammy Cahn's lyric to McCoy Tyner's music) is enhanced by pianist Donald Vega's lyrical solo and sensitive comping. Crabbe is credited for both of these highly palatable arrangements.
  
  Matt Haviland contributed the radiant arrangement of the title tune, "Home," the gorgeous ballad from "The Wiz," as well as playing a gracefully succulent trombone solo on the track. Crabbe's sincerely personal delivery benefits from her musical stage background.
  "Seasons" was written by Roland Hanna for Sarah Vaughan's Crazy and Mixed Up album. Crabbe's ability to plunge deeply into the words and their meaning with great expression is no better evident than on this selection. Vega's piano solo stands out once again with its lyricism, and is played with an appealing sound reminiscent of Herbie Hancock.
  
  Crabbe effortlessly maintains the swift tempo of "Detour Ahead" while phrasing freshly and unpredictably. Dave Glasser's cavorting alto solo and Jim West's nimble piano spot seal the deal on this successful excursion through Haviland's arrangement. Credit to bassist John Burr and drummer Alvester Garnett for their stalwart support here and throughout the CD. Person plays the intro for Crabbe's soulful treatment of Oscar Brown, Jr.'s "Strong Man." Haviland's arrangement is once again top-notch. Person preaches robustly in his improv, and Crabbe's interaction with the saxophonist brings to mind his long-time association with the late Etta Jones.
  
  "Not While I'm Around", Stephen Sondheim's ballad from "Sweeney Todd," is given a heartfelt reading by Crabbe. Trumpeter Brandon Lee's obbligatos and solo add greatly to the pensive mood, while West's piano provides the proper supportive commentary. The singer gives Carole King's "So Far Away" a more floating and soft-spoken treatment than the original, but it works just as effectively. The natural beauty of Crabbe's voice is clearly evident here. West, Burr, and Garnett breath as one behind her.
  
  Crabbe's creative arrangement of "Summertime" contains an African rhythmic pulse and a modal framework, the latter most pronounced in Vega's piano solo. This is a refreshingly different take on the frequently sung and played standard. In sum, Crabbe's very attractive voice and her ability to convey the essence of a lyric make her a jazz vocalist you want to hear again and again. Her second CD can't come soon enough.
  

• Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog [+ Show ]
  

  Monday, January 23, 2012 Shirley Crabbe, "Home": Some Singing Going On!! Singers. Remember? We...Monday, January 23, 2012
  
  Shirley Crabbe, "Home": Some Singing Going On!!
  
  Singers. Remember? We cover them here as well as all the other things. There are lots of singers out there in the "jazz" realm. Some aren't quite up to snuff. Others you hear and you KNOW. You know that they are an instrument of the music. I knew that from the very first opening moments of Shirley Crabbe's CD Home (self released). She has it all--the phrasing, the fine tuning of inflection, the delivery of lyrics and that something that takes real artistry--a variability, a variational knack.
  
  Well now here she is with a mid-sized group with some good soloists, even Houston Person on a couple of cuts. She chooses songs that aren't overdone, "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeny Todd, Oscar Brown's "Strong Man," "Detour Ahead," Carol King's "So Far Away." And she obviously does them because Ms. Crabbe has something to contribute to them. And so she does.
  
  Here's a singer to appreciate, doing songs she obviously loves, with a band that's cool. That's enough for me!! Check her out.
  Posted by Grego Applegate Edwards at 5:43 AM
  Labels: jazz vocalists today, shirley crabbe's "home" gapplegate guitar review

• Shirley Crabbe: Home - Brent Black Review [+ Show ]
  

  Shirley Crabbe Home Home is a safe haven, a warm and comfortable place where one feels welcome...
  Shirley Crabbe
  Home
  
  Home is a safe haven, a warm and comfortable place where one feels welcome, secure and at ease. Shirley Crabbe’s Home is a perfect example of how this feeling of home transfers to music with a rare quality of making that inner connection with a song ultimately going from vocalist to story teller with a soulful resonant tone that envelops the listener. Crabbe does not sing the words, she makes the music.
  
  There is a delightful swing and effervescent quality that shows up on “You Taught My Heart to Sing” where pianist Donald Vega is the perfect accompanist. Crabbe who was mentored by the fabulous Etta Jones is joined on the Oscar Brown Jr. penned tune “Strong Man” as well as “Lucky To Be Me” by tenor saxophone great Houston Person whose association with Jones and the great vocalist Ernestine Anderson goes back a good quarter century and this is one of the keys to this release. There is an infectious ebb and flow that plays to Crabbe’s vocal strengths with solid arrangements on compositions that run the musical gamete from George Gershwin to Carol King as well as the music of McCoy Tyner and Sir Roland Hanna.
  
  Sometimes the back-story to a release can be as compelling as the work itself with Shirley Crabbe coming back from a vocal injury that would have permanently sidelined a lesser person not to mention someone with a promising singing career as is the case here. Crabbe holds nothing back as she announces her artistic presence with the authority and confidence of a seasoned veteran.
  
  Arrangements such as the Carol King smash “Your So Far Away” with a somewhat eclectic spin give Home a special depth and texture that when taken in context with the entire release simply adds to a virtually flawless effort. “Summertime” which closes the release may be the strongest tune in the offering. A more contemporary arrangement has the pianist Donald Vega treading dangerously close to the avant-garde cliff with his solo without pushing the listener over the edge. Crabbe’s phrasing, inflection and harmonic sense allow her to work magic with an iconic tune that has arguably been done to death and make it her own.
  
  This is an adventurous, contemporary and swinging release that should satisfy the most discriminating of vocal jazz lovers. Making old school new cool, Shirley Crabbe is a name to remember.
  
  Key Tracks: You Taught My Heart to Sing, Strong Man, and Summertime
  
  Brent Black – Muzikreview.com Contributor
  
  October 30, 2011
  
  

• Shirley Crabbe: Home - Nick Bewsey Review [+ Show ]
  

  SHIRLEY CRABBE, HOME Sometimes jazz is about small moves and simple melodies. From this template ...SHIRLEY CRABBE, HOME
  
  Sometimes jazz is about small moves and simple melodies. From this template springs the debut of Shirley Crabbe who sings jazz and pop standards with a natural effervescence and infectious brightness. Her voice has a natural clarity, one akin to Dianne Reeves, but with a softer and at times, tentative edge. On “Home” (MaiSong Music) she surrounds herself with loyal support that clearly adores her – pianists Jim West and Donald Vega, bassist John Burr, drummer Alvester Garnett and an equally talented horn section. Mentored by the inimitable Etta Jones, Crabbe is a latecomer to the scene but sounds no less seasoned by experience and musicality. The ultimate success of her debut stands on three numbers, Leonard Bernstein’s “Lucky To Be Me” and Oscar Brown’s “Strong Man,” where Crabbe’s lustrous voice hosts saxophonist Houston Person whose velvety solos lend the album its classic feel. Then there’s the exotic arrangement of Carole King’s “So Far Away” that Crabbe sings with soulful aplomb, investing the lyric with a mournful and deeply knowing emotionality. (9 tracks; 44:20 minutes) www.shirleycrabbe.com Take a listen here.

• CD Review Shirley Crabbe "Home" [+ Show ]
  

  SHIRLEY CRABBE HOME (MaiSong Music). Crabbe (v); Jim West (p); John Burr (b); Alvester Garrett (d); ...SHIRLEY CRABBE HOME (MaiSong Music). Crabbe (v); Jim West (p); John Burr (b); Alvester Garrett (d); Houston Person (ts) and others. 2011. This debut release by Shirley Crabbe presents a very talented and mature singer, performing a well-chosen repertoire, including Lucky To Be Me, Detour Ahead, Summertime and You Taught My Heart To Sing. The singer’s late arrival as a recording artist is a result of vocal problems eventually solved through surgery. Her voice is full and rich and is used with subtle flair, admirable fluency and very good taste. Pianist Donald Vega takes over from West on some tracks and in addition to Person are appearances by Brandon Lee (t), Dave Glasser (saxes, fl) and Matt Haviland (tb). All these guest soloists contribute significantly to the proceedings and the ensemble passages are fiery and exhilarating. Nevertheless, this is a showcase for an exceptionally gifted artist who must surely appeal to all who love good jazz singing and can now hear her for the first time (and at her website). Very warmly recommended.

• Totally solid 9-song debut CD [+ Show ]
  

  Shirley Crabbe – HOME:  Every time I listen to Shirley sing the opener on her totally solid 9-song d...Shirley Crabbe – HOME:  Every time I listen to Shirley sing the opener on her totally solid 9-song debut CD, “Lucky To Be Me“, her point is driven “home”… in fact, each of the tunes she’s chosen wraps you up in her love for life & the living of it!  She had sung throughout her formative years, but almost lost her voice until she had a surgery for injured vocal cords… you’d never believe such had happened to her as you scope her sultry/sad rendition of Carole King’s “So Far Away“!  This is my favorite track, but more importantly, it totally shows Shirley’s ability to “own” a tune… you’ll still love the original, but every time you hear it, you’ll be thinking – “Ah, I remember how Shirley sang this one”!  She also puts a whole new vibe on the closing track, “Summertime” – too cool.  As folks who read my reviews on some regular basis know, it takes a lot for a vocalist to impress me, perhaps because I, too, grew up with visions of singing (based on excellent teaching from those around me)… Shirley gets my MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.98!  Get more information at www.shirleycrabbe.com   
  

• A tasty collection of tunes [+ Show ]
  

  Home Shirley Crabbe www.shirleycrabbe.com New York City jazz vocalist Shirley Crabbe’s initial ...Home
  Shirley Crabbe
  www.shirleycrabbe.com
  
  New York City jazz vocalist Shirley Crabbe’s initial CD offering is a tasty collection of tunes associated with Broadway and elsewhere. The well-produced and conceived recording features saxophone legend Houston Person as well as Shirley’s pitch-perfect vocal instrument and a quintessential New York City rhythm section of Jon Burr on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums and Jim West and Donald Vega on piano.
  
  Ms. Crabbe fortuitously returned to singing following major surgery on her vocal cords and has rendered each carefully chosen track with emotion, skill, theatrical flair and a complete reverence for the melody (something to be kept in mind by emerging jazz singers). A protégée of the late, great Etta Jones, Ms. Crabbe shows us a depth of meaning that can only be realized through life experience and devotion to your art. The moving title track from the hit musical The Wiz is a standout, as is Not While I’m Around, Sondheim’s harmonically complex ballad from Sweeny Todd, featuring an inspired trumpet solo from Brandon Lee. Oscar Brown Jr.’s Strongman is another highlight, replete with an elegant and bluesy solo from special guest (and long-time Etta Jones collaborator) Houston Person. On Leonard Bernstein’s Lucky to Be Me – another gem - Crabbe channels the incomparable Irene Kral and on Herb Ellis’ rarely performed Detour Ahead, the whole company swings sumptuously with a lilting, uptempo horn-infused arrangement from Matt Haviland.
  
  A brilliant debut, this recording should be required listening for any jazz vocalist.

• Home, Shirley Crabbe. [+ Show ]
  

  Home, Shirley Crabbe. Vocal jazz fans should thank Crabbe's surgeon. Crabbe was a trained vocalist ...Home, Shirley Crabbe.
  Vocal jazz fans should thank Crabbe's surgeon. Crabbe was a trained vocalist preparing for a career in music when she got a devastating vocal chord injury. She had successful surgery in 2006, and this is her debut. Her re-trained vocals are strong, clear, lilting, confident and lovely as she sings a mix of standards and jazz tracks. The fitting "Lucky to Be Me" opens the disc, with Crabbe singing with a rich tone and clarity of phrasing. It's obvious that she has some musical theater in her training, since her delivery is expressive, as on the ballad, "Home." But she's just as at home with jazz, as her unconventional version of "Summertime" shows. Crabbe is backed by an impressive band that lets her vocals shine, including pianist Donald Vega and drummer Alvester Garnett, plus a fun guest turn by saxophonist Houston Person. Crabbe is a talent worth waiting for.
  2011, MaiSong Music, 44:10.

• Dave Walker Review [+ Show ]
  

  Shirley Crabbe's new album Home seems to be a celebration on many levels. This classically-trained s...Shirley Crabbe's new album Home seems to be a celebration on many levels. This classically-trained singer who has also paid her jazz dues obviously loves to sing jazz and has a special love for each of the 9 songs recorded here. But there is more - she has come through the worst nightmare that a singer can imagine: losing her voice.
  
  After the horrible feeling that her voice was going, Shirley Crabbe finally had to give up singing completely. Undaunted, she continued to study music before undergoing a nerve-wracking operation meant to restore her singing voice. Such an operation is always a gamble, with the very real possibility that the voice will never be the same and may even be lost for good. Fortunately, Shirley came out the other side with her magnificent voice restored. And that is good news for us as well as her.
  
  The album begins with a spirited version of Leonard Bernstein's classic Lucky To Be Me, sung with such joy and conviction that you can't help but feel Shirley Crabbe's joy in singing in such full voice. A great rendition of a song that we don't hear often enough.
  
  The good vibes continue into You Taught My Heart To Sing. This is another uplifting performance that will have you tapping your feet and humming along (unless you break out into song yourself, that is).
  
  Home is a softer reflection on the meaning of home tinged with melancholy that never slides into simple sadness. The superb band sounds great with some subtle brass colors and a fine trombone solo.
  
  The ballad mood continues into Seasons. The song starts with an almost minimalist approach by the band, leaving plenty of space for Shirley Crabbe's sumptuous voice to take center stage. Once again the group is just great, especially the exceptional piano work of Donald Vega.
  
  The beat picks back up with Detour Ahead over a Latin-tinged accompaniment. Like most of the songs here, the differently inflected lines of the voice, piano, rhythm section, and brass fit together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. It is refreshing to hear that each player continues to play the song during their solo, rather than heading off in another direction. This gives a nice tight feeling to the song, and a definite feeling of cohesion to the whole album.
  
  Strong Man is another smooth ballad, with maybe a bit of tongue in cheek in yet another superb performance. No matter the tempo, this group is always tight and swinging, following all of the nuances of Ms. Crabbe's wonderful vocal.
  
  Not While I'm Around is a wonderfully moody ballad sung with word-perfect expression; you would swear that Shirley Crabbe is coming up with the words off the top of her head, so natural is her singing. What a great combination of confidence and ability!
  
  So Far Away takes the Carole King classic to a more meditative place. The mildly melancholy vocal delivery is set off by Jim West's subtle tone clusters on piano that seem to move it to another world. A very memorable arrangement.
  
  The album ends with a vivid re-imagining of Summertime. There is a lot happening in the background during this particular summer, much due to the outstanding bass playing of John Burr. Once again Donald Vega adds some great piano to the mix. Oh, and just a fantastic vocal performance that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up to that very last note.
  
  If you like jazz and you like good singing you will love this CD. Few artists manage to put across a song with the confidence, enthusiasm, and sheer verve of Shirley Crabbe. She is an artist who is well worth getting to know.
  
  You can but this great CD at Amazon.com on CD or MP3 download

• @Critical Jazz - HOME Cd Debut [+ Show ]
  

  Home is safe. Home is the security and comfort zone where one feels most welcome and at ease when go...Home is safe. Home is the security and comfort zone where one feels most welcome and at ease when going about their daily routine. Crabbe breaks out of her musical comfort zone with a release of inventive and engaging arrangements all while maintaining the security and ease of performance as though she were seasoned in years well beyond her current level of experience. Shirley Crabbe is back from a vocal injury that would have sidelined a lesser person to announce her presence with authority and jazz is a richer place for this sublime effort.
  
  A infectious ease and effervescent swing shows up on "You Taught My Heart To Sing" where pianist Donald Vega is the perfect accompanist. Tenor saxophone great Houston Person joins Crabbe for two tunes "Strong Man" and "Lucky To Be Me" and it is Person's swing combined with some incredibly well thought out arrangements that make this record pop with vitality. An ebb and flow of style and elegance that captures compositions from the likes of George Gershwin and Carol King not to mention the music of McCoy Tyner and Sir Roland Hanna.
  
  With Crabbe's voice the furthest thing from an issue here, the arrangements sparkle with some bordering on a more contemporary soul sound and others lending themselves to a slightly more abstract vocal styling but all giving Home a rich depth and texture missing from similar releases popping up this year. "Summertime" may be the strongest tune on this release with pianist Vega's solo dancing ever so close to the avant gard cliff without ever tossing the listener over the edge.
  
  Home does not play it safe. Shirley Crabbe is adventurous, swinging and is certainly a name to remember!
  
  A taste of Shirley Crabbe from 2008
  
  
  Tracks: Lucky To Be Me; You Taught My Heart To Sing; Home; Seasons; Detour Ahead; Strong Man; Not While I'm Around; So Far Away; Summertime.
  
  Personell: Shirley Crabbe: vocals; Jon Burr: bass; Alvester Garrett: drums; Dave Glasser: saxophone & flue; Matt Haviland: trombone; Brandon Lee: trumpet; Houston Person: tenor saxophone (1,6); Donald Vega: piano (2,9).
  
  
  Posted by Digital Jazz News at 7:55 AM

• Shirley Crabbe Wins Arts Award [+ Show ]
  

  On May 7, 2009, the Arts Council of Rockland announced the winners of the 2009 County Executive ...
  
  On May 7, 2009, the Arts Council of Rockland announced the winners of the 2009 County Executive Arts Awards, The ceremony, held at the Cultural Arts Center of Rockland Community College, is an annual celebration of art, those who support and those who create it.
  
  Attendees were treated to performances by the Ramapo High School Dance Company, Members of the String Orchestra of the Rockland Conservatory of Music, violinist Shelby Yamin, pianist Jan Deats and cellist Claude Gilbert. A dessert reception was provided by the Hospitality Department of Rockland Community College.
  
  Hosts for the evening were Scott Vanderhoef (Rockland County Executive), Thomas L. Brizzolara (Director, Public Affairs, Orange and Rockland Utilities) and Brian Condon (Chairperson, Arts Council of Rockland).
  
  Orange and Rockland Utilities served as Primary Corporate Sponsor. Dominican College and St. Thomas Aquinas College were Corporate supporters of the event. The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by Cablevision.
  
  Pictured above: Front row, left to right: Marigene Kettler (Rockland Conservatory of Music), Dorothy Filoramo (Dominican College, Corporate Supporter), Deborah Darbonne (Friends of the Nyacks), Jennie Chien, Kathy Tappenden (Nyack High School Drama Club), Joan Gussow, Shirley Crabbe. Second row: L. John Durney (St. Thomas Aquinas College, Corporate Supporter), Foster Bass (Friends of the Nyacks), C. Scott Vanderhoef (County Executive), Thomas L. Brizzolara (Orange & Rockland Utilities, Primary Corporate Sponsor), Brian Condon, ACOR Board Chairperson.
  
  Arts Education - Nyack High School Drama Club
  The Nyack High School Drama Club takes on dramatic challenges of titanic proportions. In fact, one of their recent productions was "Titanic." Others include "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera." The Club was only one of six schools nationwide selected to mount the first amateur productions of "Phantom." The show sold out each of its seven shows and won seven National Youth Theater awards. Student build and paint the sets. The Titanic sank on stage every night. During "Phantom," the huge chandelier crashed on stage every night. The students design and run complex sound, lighting and backstage systems. They sing. They dance. They play the instruments. They act. It's officially recognized as a "club" but this extra-curricular drama program at Nyack High School might be more appropriately called "a way of life." (pictured, Kathy Tappenden, Director)
  
  LIFE IS BETTER WHERE THERE IS ART!
  
  Arts Organization - Rockland Conservatory of Music
  The Rockland Conservatory of Music was founded 53 years ago as the Community Music School. Over the decades, the organization grew into a conservatory of music while keeping true to its roots as a community music school. Today, 450 children and adults study and perform on many instruments and voice at the Conservatory. Honoring its commitment as a community school, 15% of its students attend on either full or partial scholarship.
  
  Some graduates of the Conservatory have gone on to professional careers in music. Others teach professionally.
  
  The Conservatory's mission is to provide quality professional music instruction at reasonable rates to students of all ages and abilities, regardless of ethnic, religious or financial background. 53 years ago, its founders felt that anyone who wished to make music part of their life should be given the opportunity. In 2009, this continues to be the center of the RCM's vision and practice. (pictured Marigene Kettler, Executive Director)
  
  LIFE IS BETTER WHERE THERE IS ART!
  
  Literary Artist - Joan Gussow
  Joan Gussow is the author and co-author of four published books. Her most recent, "The Organic Life," has been reviewed as "a rollicking good read from start to finish. It is like a long talk with an old friend, filled candor and immediacy." The thread that runs through Joan's writing is nutrition. She uses food as a metaphorical launching pad to examine how human beings live on the earth. Joan's writing reflects her care for each thing the Earth has produced - because our lives depend on it.
  
  LIFE IS BETTER WHERE THERE IS ART!
  
  Performing Artist - Shirley Crabbe
  Shirley Crabbe is a stunning and lyrical vocalist who uses all of the colors in the musical palette to deliver a performance that is engaging and entertaining. Seeing Ella Fitzgerald perform "A Tisket, A Tasket" in an old Abbot and Costello movie inspired Shirley to sing jazz. "I was born with a passion for singing, and when I heard Ella, I knew that jazz singing was 'it' for me."
  
  Placing 3rd in the American Traditions Competition, a part of the Savannah (Georgia) International Music Festival, has made this an exciting year for Shirley. She has also performed at some of New York's finest cabarets and jazz clubs including Madison Square Garden, the Paramount Theater and two recent showcases at Birdland, the world famous jazz club. We're grateful to Ella for inspiring Rockland's own Shirley Crabbe.
  
  LIFE IS BETTER WHERE THERE IS ART!
  
  Supporter of the Arts - Friends of the Nyacks
  Life in the Nyacks is profoundly richer because of the persistence, diligence and vigilance of The Friends of the Nyacks. This non-profit, volunteer-run organization was established in 1974 and is dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life in the Nyacks. Some of their accomplishments include: obtaining the lease for the arts center now known as Riverspace and being instrumental in founding that organization; producing the annual Mostly Music Festival on the Hudson; sponsoring and giving financial support to the Rivertown Film Society; building the gazebo-bandstand in Memorial Park; sponsoring the "Yesteryear on the Hudson" mural on Broadway and Burd Street; sponsoring riverside festivals to celebrate the Hudson and creating and displaying art on streets and in parks and buildings
  
  In 2008, the Friends sponsored a performing arts flotilla constructed by the artist, Swoon, whose work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The flotilla was anchored off Nyack's Memorial Park and served as the stage for a theatrical performance written by Obie-winning playwright Lisa D'Amour.
  
  When you talk about the marriage between art and quality of life, you're talking about The Friends of the Nyacks. (pictured Deborah Darbonne, Chairperson and Foster Bass, Board Member)
  
  LIFE IS BETTER WHERE THERE IS ART!
  
  Visual Artist - Jennie Chien
  Jennie Chien is the winner of more than 25 awards for design excellence. Her work has been exhibited at many galleries in New York and New Jersey. Jennie has received a Special Opportunity Stipend from the New York Foundation for the Arts and is one of the two Individual Artist Grants awarded by the Arts Council of Rockland. After working as a graphic designer and art director in New York and San Francisco for 11 years, she has been employed as freelance project director and manager for 13.
  
  Jennie says of her work, "Making art is a search for the true self, for wholeness. I am inspired by archetypes, the elemental symbols common to all cultures. I borrow such images and concepts to create something that has within it a timeless quality. My role as an artist is to point out our commonalities while appreciating our differences, both of which make us whole human beings."
  
  LIFE IS BETTER WHERE THERE IS ART!
  
  
  
  LIFE IS BETTER WHERE THERE IS ART
  
  If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe
  Arts Council of Rockland
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  Spring Valley, New York 10977
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• Shirley Crabbe Winner! 2008 American Traditions Competition: Savannah Music Festival - Savannah, GA [+ Show ]
  

  Shirley Crabbe Winner! 2008 American Traditions Competition: Savannah Music Festiva... Shirley Crabbe Winner!
  2008 American Traditions Competition: Savannah Music Festival - Savannah, GA
  Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 10:02 PM
  From website: WSAV News Channel 3
  By Alaina Anderson
  Six fantastic singers battled it out tonight in the final round of the American Traditions Competition. It’s part of the Savannah Music Festival.
  Since Wednesday, performers have sung their hearts out – vying for those final spots in the competition.
  NEWS 3's Tina Tyus-Shaw and Russ Riesinger emceed tonight's finals at First African Baptist Church.
  Here are the winners--
  Kiley Watson of Marietta, GA took home the Oxnard Gold Medal Award of $10,000.
  Leenya Rideout from New York City won the Silver Medal Award of $5,000.
  The Bronze Medal Award of $2,500 went to Shirley Crabbe of Orangeburg, New York.
  The Savannah Music Festival runs through Saturday, April 5th.
  
  
  The Savannah Music Festival (SMF) is Georgia’s largest musical arts festival and one of the most distinctive cross-genre music festivals in the world. SMF is building a robust history on its devotion to living, vibrant musical traditions, regularly presenting commissioned works, unique and imaginative productions and rare regional appearances by renowned artists in jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other styles of American and international roots music. Artists collaborate, students and master musicians intermingle, vocalists showcase their talents and communities uplift and celebrate over seventeen specially conceived days and nights.
  
  http://savannahnow.com/node/471567
  

• Shirley Crabbe Winner! 2008 American Traditions Competition: Savannah Music Festival - Savannah, GA [+ Show ]
  

  Shirley Crabbe Winner! 2008 American Traditions Competition: Savannah Music Festiva... Shirley Crabbe Winner!
  2008 American Traditions Competition: Savannah Music Festival - Savannah, GA
  Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 10:02 PM
  From website: WSAV News Channel 3
  By Alaina Anderson
  Six fantastic singers battled it out tonight in the final round of the American Traditions Competition. It’s part of the Savannah Music Festival.
  Since Wednesday, performers have sung their hearts out – vying for those final spots in the competition.
  NEWS 3's Tina Tyus-Shaw and Russ Riesinger emceed tonight's finals at First African Baptist Church.
  Here are the winners--
  Kiley Watson of Marietta, GA took home the Oxnard Gold Medal Award of $10,000.
  Leenya Rideout from New York City won the Silver Medal Award of $5,000.
  The Bronze Medal Award of $2,500 went to Shirley Crabbe of Orangeburg, New York.
  The Savannah Music Festival runs through Saturday, April 5th.
  
  
  The Savannah Music Festival (SMF) is Georgia’s largest musical arts festival and one of the most distinctive cross-genre music festivals in the world. SMF is building a robust history on its devotion to living, vibrant musical traditions, regularly presenting commissioned works, unique and imaginative productions and rare regional appearances by renowned artists in jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other styles of American and international roots music. Artists collaborate, students and master musicians intermingle, vocalists showcase their talents and communities uplift and celebrate over seventeen specially conceived days and nights.
  
  http://savannahnow.com/node/471567
  

• CD Review: Featured Artist - Shirley Crabbe: Debut Album "Home" Year: 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  Jazz Music - by Cameron Jackman WRITING ABOUT JAZZ: LEARNING ABOUT JAZZ: LISTENING TO JAZZ: FOR THE...Jazz Music - by Cameron Jackman
  WRITING ABOUT JAZZ: LEARNING ABOUT JAZZ: LISTENING TO JAZZ: FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ. WINNER OF THE PRESTIGIOUS 2010 CHELSEA-ROEBUCK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN WEB MEDIA JOURNALISM.
  Sunday, September 25, 2011
  CD Review: Featured Artist - Shirley Crabbe: Debut Album "Home"
  Year: 2011
  Style: Jazz Vocalist
  Label: MaiSong Music & Entertainment
  Musicians: Shirley Crabbe - Vocals; Jim West - Piano; Donald Vega - Piano; John Burr - Bass; Alvester Garnett - Drums; Brandon Lee - Trumpet; Dave Glasser - Saxophone & Flute; Matt Haviland - Trombone.
  Special Guest: Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone ("Lucky To Be Me," "Strong Man")
  
  CD Review: Making music professionally can be a cruelly stressful business; especially for vocalists. Just the misfortune of a vocal chord injury can hasten a premature end to a once promising singing career; as was the case with jazz vocalist Shirley Crabbe. A return to singing typically requires patience, determination, confidence, undying passion, lots of guts, and a little luck. Shirley Crabbe has managed to pull them all together, and with the help of an exceptional group of supporting musicians that believed in her, she has released an especially thrilling debut CD: "Home."
  
  In selecting the material for this CD, Crabbe has turned to an eclectic group of esteemed composers and song writers imbueing her work with depth, modernity, charm, vigor and spirited elan; bracketing the whole work with compositions by Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin: and complementing the body with the music of Sammy Cahn, McCoy Tyner, Sir Roland Hanna, Oscar Brown Jr., Stephen Sondheim, and Carole King.
  
  Shirley Crabbe is a jazz vocalist who sings passionately from the heart: "Home" speaks to the heart in a variety of ways based on the choices she is able to make because of her classical training as a singer, enduring musical influences, and invaluable experience singing in various New York jazz clubs. She proceeds in a careful, ascending musical arc that starts out with two swinging appraisals of life; Leonard Bernstein's invigorating, "Lucky To Be Me," to which tenor saxophone icon Houston Person gives tremendous thrust and lift, with an after-burner solo, that positions the date onto an upward musical trajectory from which it never veers; and McCoy Tyner's luscious "You Taught My Heart To Sing," out of which comes a delectable solo from pianist Donald Vega.
  
  Crabbe's voice is delightfully warm and smoothly matured. She sings with enviable intonation; is comfortable at any tempo, effortlessly executing each with an astute discernment of the lyric, and an interpretive profundity that facilitates adding another instrument (her voice) to the talented, versatile group of musicians playing behind her. She also shows brilliant form as an arranger on four of the tracks on the CD; most notably, "You Taught My Heart To Sing" and "Summertime."
  
  Crabbe studied classical music, by day, at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City, and in the evening, she trekked downtown to sing jazz in the clubs. This routine brings to mind a similar habit of trumpeter Miles Davis when he first arrived in New York City in the early 40's, to study at the equally illustrious Juilliard School of Music. He too used to attend classes during the day, and then 'go looking' for 'Bird' and 'Monk' at night in the jazz clubs on 52nd Street; not entirely undistinguished footsteps to follow in the musical sands of time.
  
  Crabbe has amassed a superfluity of working experience during her career's nascency - performing at New York City's Metropolitan Room; Birdland; Madison Square Garden's Paramount Theatre; opening for the late Abbey Lincoln; working alongside jazz-fusion artists tenor/soprano saxophonist/composer Marion Meadows, urban jazz specialist, keyboardist Bob Baldwin; and performing with pianist Harold Maybern and bassist Jamil Nasser - she was inspired by The First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald, and is a staunch adherent to Ms. Firzgerald's school of impeccable, fluid enunciation, and phrasing; elements of vocalizing that singer Frank Sinatra admitted also 'learning' from Ella. Crabbe displays
  ?
  
  both like second nature on the tender title track, Charlie Hall's "Home," and Sir Roland Hanna's poignant "Seasons." On both selections pianist Donald Vega displays sensitive, thoughtful pianism that perfectly complements the tone and mood of the song and allows Shirley Crabbe's voice to paint beautiful, rounded colors against the luxuriant palette he lays out beneath her.
  
  As Crabbe continues to ease her way up this adaptable musical arc, its appeal becomes more intimate, she  reaches deeper into her heart for expression and there is a sense that something special, even spiritual is happening, the band tactfully follows her lead into each moment of the songs, supporting her with 'less is more,' uncluttered backing and a bracing simplicity ("Strong Man," "Not While I'm Around"), that invoke memories of the magic made between Nancy Wilson and the Julian "Cannonball" Adderley Quintet during Wilson's historic 1962 singing debut. Houston Person returns with a 'strong' tenor presence on Oscar Brown Jr's "Strong Man," and Brandon Lee's muted trumpet on "Not While I'm Around" is deliciously haunting, yet offering the subtle strong-willed reassurance implied in the song's title.
  
  Crabbe reaches the high-point of the CD's performance arc with a sincere and enchanting lyrical reading of Carol King's pop classic "You're So Far Away," making the song seem 'so right' for her voice. She extends the climax 'swingin' into Gerschwin's "Summertime," adding heartfelt joy, appreciation and verve to the feeling of optimistic assurance inherent in the lyric; she ends the CD as she started it, stating a love for life with accented certainty, in spite of it's vicissitudes.
  
  It is refreshing to listen to a 'pure' standard-setting jazz singer who adamantly eschews the use of vocal histrionics to 'get over,' instead relying on the best writers, committed musicians, and her own pristine talent. Jazz music is richer to have a vocalist of such high caliber as Shirley Crabbe, return "Home."
  
  Track Listing: Lucky To Be Me; You Taught My Heart To Sing; Home; Seasons; Detour Ahead; Strong Man; Not While I'm Around; So Far Away; Summertime.
  
  Recorded at Bennett Studios, Englewood NJ
  Engineered by Alessandro Perrotta
  Mixed by Katherine Miller at Annandale Recording
  Mastered by Alan Silverman, Arf! Mastering, NYC
  Manufactured and printed by Disc Makers
  Liner Notes & Editor - Deborah Crabbe
  Music Preparation Shirley Crabbe
  Senior Executive Producer - Shirley Crabbe
  Executive Producers - Deborah Crabbe, Helen Crabbe
  Producer & Musical Director - Donald Vega
  Production Assistant - Samantha Carlevaro
  
  Posted by C. J. Bond at 1:12 PM
  Labels: Jazz Vocal
  

• Shirley Crabbe - Home [+ Show ]
  

  t isn't many singers who can lose their voice via a vocal chord injury and then, after surgery, beco...t isn't many singers who can lose their voice via a vocal chord injury and then, after surgery, become a singer again. That is what happened to Jazz vocalist Shirley Crabbe, and this is her debut album, a testament to the work of the surgeon and her powers of recovery and the resolve to sing again. This is a beautiful sounding voice, rich and lush, full of emotion - you have to applaud Ms Crabbe's determination to recover what she had lost. Home is an album of nine tracks, full of Jazz ballads and romantic songs, all wrapped in the velvet soft tones of Ms Crabbe's voice. The songs writers include: Leonard Bernstein, Sammy Cahn, McCoy Tyner, Oscar Brown, George Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim. The entire album is a paean to the art of the song and you are simply going to fall in love with the voice here. It also helps that Ms Crabbe has a wonderful assortment of musicians supporting her - they are: Jim West and Donald Vega - piano, John Burr - bass, Alvester Garnett - drums, Brandon Lee - trumpet, Dave Glasser - sax and flute, Matt Haviland - trombone, Houston Person - tenor sax. Some of the solos these gentlemen play are understated yet plangent in the extreme. The nine tracks are: Lucky To Be Me, You Taught My Heart To Sing, Home, Seasons, Detour Ahead, Strong Man, Not While I'm Around, So Far Away and Summertime. As American Songbook albums go this is a great one, the selection of songs veering away from the obvious, and fitting into Ms Crabbe's theme of regaining her voice and being back home in the world of music. Shirley Crabbe is a vocalist of rare distinction and deserves to be heard - this album is highly recommended.
  
  For more information about this artist, album and availability visit: www.shirleycrabbe.com

Setlist

Set List to Include some or all of the following:

BEGIN THE BEGUINE
LUCKY TO BE ME
DETOUR AHEAD
NOT WHILE I’M AROUND
ALL OF ME,
STRONG MAN
YOU TAUGHT MY HEART TO SING,
SEASONS
STORMY WEATHER
ON A CLEAR DAY
AS TIME GOES BY
SO FAR AWAY,
HOME
I LOVE BEING HERE WITH YOU
SHAKING THE BLUES AWAY
AUTUMN LEAVES
SWEET THING
ISN'T IT ROMANTIC?
SKYLARK
SUGAR
MR. PAGANINI
AS TIME GOES BY

Basic Requirements

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