Sarah Tolar
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
"[a] waify but iron willed singer... a young pro with lite jazz leanings amid her folkie musings, Tolar has a lot on the ball and conveys it nicely." - Midwest Record
"Sarah Tolar, a stunning blonde belter, sits in for a few tunes and heats the room, her voice lush with deep-seated generosity. Her take on “Cheek to Cheek” inspires envy, and that casual way of resting one hand on her hip, almost in a half-bend as she hollers… effortlessly sexy."
- CulturalCapitol.com
"Tolar proves that contemporary jazz can be sexy, in an unfussy, silk-and-red-wine sort of way...[Big Blue] Moon opts for steady sophistication rather than stylized showiness, which speaks well of Tolar’s self-awareness as an artist and makes for a moving debut album." - Lara Crombie, WeHeartMusic.com
Full review at
http://weheartmusic.vox.com/library/post/sarah-tolar-big-blue-moon.html
- WeHeartMusic.com
"Refreshing....Imbued with the songwriting and vocal qualities of Carole King, Judy Collins and Norah Jones. Each song on Big Blue Moon is produced to perfection and should appeal to Tolar’s fans because of their beauty, relevance and intimacy." -- Paula Edelstein, Suite101.com
Full review at: http://contemporary-jazz.suite101.com/article.cfm/sarah_tolar_debuts_big_blue_moon - Suite101.com
"A bright mix of Folk and Jazz with a distinct Pop sensibility that should garner a lot of attention for Sarah Tolar. As a songwriter she shows flashes of brilliance...fans who appreciate great music and great songwriting will eat this up."
Full review at: http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2009/06/review-sarah-tolar-big-blue-moon.html - Wildy's World
Sarah's CD release party at the Canal Room was a huge success. She packed the room and captivated the attention of every person in it with her charisma and charm; a true professional and a true talent!
-- Deena Goodman, Booker, The Canal Room, NYC - The Canal Room, NYC
"Tolar earned her Master's degree in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas... The album displays the knowledge and skills of what Tolar knows best with a folk-country flair" -- PraiseForWallflower.com - PraiseForWallflower.com
"Soothing and evocative...the kind of music you want to hear on a cool Autumn Saturday with coffee brewing in the kitchen." - Media Personality/Actress/Producer/Writer
"Sweety hip." - Songwriter's Monthly
"...warm, masterfully written music."
"Big Blue Moon is an album that will appeal to fans of contemporary pop/jazz who are looking for something other than yet another rehashing of standards. Solid writing combined with beautiful singing combine to produce a stellar debut by a musician who deserves a huge amount of attention. Sarah Tolar is going places."
Full review at: http://mymindisamuffler.blogspot.com/search?q=sarah+tolar - Allmusicblog
Discography
BIG BLUE MOON (2008) - NY release April 13th, 2009
Photos
Bio
Sarah Tolar's album, Big Blue Moon, gracefully traverses genre by blending her many influences and offering up a record that is both contemporary and timeless. Her jazz leanings infuse style and soul into warm melodies and poignant lyrics, and bring thoughtful musicality to modern songwriting.
Sarah was born into a musical family with professional singers as parents. Though her early influences included mainly folk music, Sarah eventually went on to earn a Masters of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas. During that time, Sarah was awarded the Downbeat Award for best college female jazz singer. However, her passion for songwriting was not to be ignored. Sarah left Texas and moved to New York City to pursue her career as an original artist. Since that time, Sarah has performed for audiences in New York, Florida, Texas, and California and China and recently opened for five-time Grammy winner Christopher Cross in Washington, DC.
Sarah officially released Big Blue Moon in April 2009. The album, produced by David Cook (Natasha Bedingfield, Jennifer Hudson, Lizz Wright), features some of New York's most talented musicians who, when not playing with Sarah, may be found sharing the stage with Harry Connick Jr, Diana Krall, Natasha Bedingfield, Jennifer Hudson, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and Cassandra Wilson.
Big Blue Moon tells the story that any debut album might, but in a way you haven't heard it before. Like the aptly-titled first single from the release, Sarah invites listeners to come "Along for the Ride", taking them through her own personal journey both musically and lyrically, and delivering an album that crosses traditional genre boundaries to engage jazz, pop, and folk listeners alike.
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