LORI CULLEN |
SEXSMITH SWINGHAMMER SONGS |
LORI CULLEN — SEXSMITH SWINGHAMMER SONGS ★ SEXSMITH SWINGHAMMER SONGS
★ Twelve new tunes with a pure, unaffected style that evokes the rich creativity of 60’s/70’s composers Paul Williams, Burt Bacharach, and Jimmy Webb. Co–written specifically for her with Ron Sexsmith and Kurt Swinghammer. Full album release on Oct 28th, 2016
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Album release: Oct 28th, 2016
Record Label: True North Records
Duration:
Tracks:
01. Face Of Emily 2:24
02. Miracle Home 2:19
03. Strange Is This Life 3:22
04. New Love 3:06
05. Something Right 3:01
06. This Morning 3:06
07. Beginner’s Luck 2:37
08. Off Somewhere (Feat. Ron Sexsmith) 2:32
09. Then There Were Three 2:58
10. Some Part Of Me 2:54
11. Don’t Go Yet 2:52
12. True 3:24
Album Information:
♠♦♠ Long time friends and respected musicians Lori Cullen, Kurt Swinghammer and Ron Sexsmith come together and collaborate on a new recording — Sexsmith Swinghammer songs. Ron, who has been a huge fan of Lori’s for years, suggested to Kurt that they co–write an album of material specifically for Lori to sing. The inspired results are sure to draw attention, as always, to her remarkable voice.
♠♦♠ Identified by jazz giant Kurt Elling as one of his favourite new vocalists, Lori Cullen’s upcoming album on True North Records is a fresh expression of jazz~infused chamber~pop. With her pure, unaffected style she delivers twelve tunes that evoke the rich creativity of 60’s/70’s composers Bacharach, Webb and Jobim. Supporting the combination of Sexsmith’s renowned lyrical approach and Swinghammer’s unique musical sensibilities, the tracks feature contributions from a dozen of Toronto’s finest musicians.
♠♦♠ “To have two of my favourite people who also happen to be two of my favourite songwriters write an album of material for ME to sing is beyond exciting.” — Vocalist Lori Cullen
♠♦♠ “It was a thrill for me, not only to write the words for Kurt’s incredible music but then to have Lori Cullen lend her beautiful voice to these songs was a dream come true.” — Lyricist Ron Sexsmith
♦♠♦ “Having Sexsmith as wordsmith was true inspiration to pull out all the stops compositionally, and writing melodies for Lori’s breathtakingly beautiful voice was the greatest motivation one could ever ask for.” — Composer Kurt Swinghammer
♦♠♦ The album was recorded at Toronto’s Canterbury Sound by veteran engineer Jeremy Darby and produced by Maury Lafoy, who also played bass along with the core band of drummer Mark Mariash, keyboardist Robbie Grunwald, and guitarist Swinghammer. Centered around nylon string and Rhodes, the skillfully constructed arrangements sparkle with trumpet, trombone, oboe, clarinet, recorder, and harmonica. Backing vocalists Mia Sheard and Jennifer Foster add a signature sound throughout the songs with intricately layered counterpoint parts. With his celebrated experience and sonic sensitivity, David Travers~Smith created the exquisite mix.
♦♠♦ “Kurt Swinghammer’s fertile songwriting imagination gave this project an absolutely amazing jumping off point for both Ron Sexsmith’s straight to the heart lyrics and Lori Cullen’s beautiful interpretations. It the rarest and finest combination of music, lyrics and voice I’ve worked on.” — Producer Maury Lafoy
♠♦♠ The first Lori Cullen CD came out at the start of a new century. Garden Path reflected a young sensibility informed by her heroes Joni Mitchell and Jane Siberry. Two years later she shifted gears to jazz standards for the well received So Much. Her third release Uneven Hill focused on original writing and dramatically broadened the scope of her sonic world. Calling For Rain in 2006 brought together all the previous elements to create a hybrid of jazz and pop which established her artistic identity. It was nominated for a Best Vocal Jazz Juno and one of her original tunes won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Council Of Folk Festivals. The CDs Buttercup Bugle and That Certain Chartreuse continued to define her reputation as a brilliant interpreter of covers, as well as a distinctive original writer, and expanded her reputation overseas with releases in Japan.
♠♦♠ Lori’s seventh album is a confident, mature artistic statement inspired by the personal milestone of motherhood.
♠♦♠ A Toronto album launch concert for Sexsmith Swinghammer songs has been announced at Hugh’s Room on October 29.
Bio
♦♠♦ It’s her singing that always draws attention, and partly for the things that it doesn’t have. No vibrato, no trendy affectations, no unnecessary melodic ornamentation. Just a pure and uniquely beautiful voice.
♦♠♦ It started happening in the late 90’s at the Free Times Café — an important singer/songwriter incubator for Toronto’s resilient acoustic scene. With a natural flair for performing, she honed her skills by hosting the weekly open mic night and cultivated an early fan base of peers in the local music community.
♦♠♦ The first Lori Cullen CD came out at the start of a new century. Garden Path reflected a young sensibility informed by her heroes Joni Mitchell and Jane Siberry. Two years later she shifted gears to jazz standards for the well received So Much. Her third release Uneven Hill focused on original writing and dramatically broadened the scope of her sonic world. Calling For Rain in 2006 brought together all the previous elements to create a hybrid of jazz and pop which became her lasting artistic identity. Largely a collection of carefully curated covers, it was nominated for a Best Vocal Jazz Juno. One of her original tunes on the album won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Council Of Folk Festivals.
♠♦♠ The late Chris Dedrick, revered leader of 60’s chamber pop faves The Free Design, heard Lori on the radio and came to her next gig with an open invite to collaborate. His signature ornate brass and vocal arrangements adorn Buttercup Bugle. It’s release in 2007 was celebrated with a live show featuring a 12 piece band and broadcast nationally on CBC Radio. This album also initiated a licensing deal with a label in Japan. Around this time Polaris Prize winner and Arcade Fire member Owen Pallet asked Lori to contribute her distinctive vocals to the second Final Fantasy album.
♠♦♠ 2011’s That Certain Chartreuse presented an eclectic selection of covers by artists as diverse as Gordon Lightfoot and King Crimson, all creatively arranged by herself and her band of stellar Toronto musicians. The music prompted jazz vocal giant Kurt Elling to acknowledge in an interview that Cullen was one of his favourite new singers. Shortly after the album was released she put her career on hold and in 2013 Lori and composer/visual artist Kurt Swinghammer became proud parents.
♠♦♠ Ron Sexsmith, who has been a huge fan of Lori’s for years, suggested to Kurt Swinghammer that they co~write an album of material specifically for Lori to sing. Sexsmith Swinghammer Songs is the result of a very inspired collaboration, and sure to draw attention, as always, to her voice.
Website: http://www.loricullen.com/
Label: http://www.truenorthrecords.com/album/906
Bandcamp: https://loricullen.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriCullenmusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loricullenmusicpage/
THAT CERTAIN CHARTREUSE
★ Lori interprets 10 eclectic songs by a wide range of writers in her genre defying style, and presents a new original composition as well.
★ Tunes made famous by Shania Twain and Suzanne Vega rub shoulders with a cult classic from King Crimson, while local composers Jory Nash, Kurt Swinghammer and John Millard are represented beside a chestnut from the grandfather of Toronto singer/songwriters, Gordon Lightfoot.
BUTTERCUP BUGLE
★ At the intersection of jazz, easy listening, orchestral pop and acoustic folk is the sound of Buttercup Bugle.
★ Co~produced by Chris Dedrick ~ mastermind behind the legendary 60’s Sunshine Pop vocal group Free Design.
CALLING FOR RAIN
★ Along side two original works Calling for Rain is full of other people’s songs. A collection of mature songs that highlight the craft of song writing and the emotional power of a direct and intimate lyric.
★ Rare gems by Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Newman, Bruce Cockburn, Richard Thompson, Harry Nilson, Henry Mancini and Irving Berlin.
SO MUCH WITH THE RON DAVIS TRIO
★ A switch of gears in to start singing some jazz standards and pop songs with the Ron David Trio.
UNEVEN HILL
★ “If music had the power to reduce stress, this would be the album to do it… Lori Cullen’s effort could add atmosphere to a construction site. A true artist who has created an important work of contemporary Canadian music.” — Penguin Eggs
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
LORI CULLEN |
SEXSMITH SWINGHAMMER SONGS |
LORI CULLEN — SEXSMITH SWINGHAMMER SONGS ★ SEXSMITH SWINGHAMMER SONGS
★ Twelve new tunes with a pure, unaffected style that evokes the rich creativity of 60’s/70’s composers Paul Williams, Burt Bacharach, and Jimmy Webb. Co–written specifically for her with Ron Sexsmith and Kurt Swinghammer. Full album release on Oct 28th, 2016
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Album release: Oct 28th, 2016
Record Label: True North Records
Duration:
Tracks:
01. Face Of Emily 2:24
02. Miracle Home 2:19
03. Strange Is This Life 3:22
04. New Love 3:06
05. Something Right 3:01
06. This Morning 3:06
07. Beginner’s Luck 2:37
08. Off Somewhere (Feat. Ron Sexsmith) 2:32
09. Then There Were Three 2:58
10. Some Part Of Me 2:54
11. Don’t Go Yet 2:52
12. True 3:24
Album Information:
♠♦♠ Long time friends and respected musicians Lori Cullen, Kurt Swinghammer and Ron Sexsmith come together and collaborate on a new recording — Sexsmith Swinghammer songs. Ron, who has been a huge fan of Lori’s for years, suggested to Kurt that they co–write an album of material specifically for Lori to sing. The inspired results are sure to draw attention, as always, to her remarkable voice.
♠♦♠ Identified by jazz giant Kurt Elling as one of his favourite new vocalists, Lori Cullen’s upcoming album on True North Records is a fresh expression of jazz~infused chamber~pop. With her pure, unaffected style she delivers twelve tunes that evoke the rich creativity of 60’s/70’s composers Bacharach, Webb and Jobim. Supporting the combination of Sexsmith’s renowned lyrical approach and Swinghammer’s unique musical sensibilities, the tracks feature contributions from a dozen of Toronto’s finest musicians.
♠♦♠ “To have two of my favourite people who also happen to be two of my favourite songwriters write an album of material for ME to sing is beyond exciting.” — Vocalist Lori Cullen
♠♦♠ “It was a thrill for me, not only to write the words for Kurt’s incredible music but then to have Lori Cullen lend her beautiful voice to these songs was a dream come true.” — Lyricist Ron Sexsmith
♦♠♦ “Having Sexsmith as wordsmith was true inspiration to pull out all the stops compositionally, and writing melodies for Lori’s breathtakingly beautiful voice was the greatest motivation one could ever ask for.” — Composer Kurt Swinghammer
♦♠♦ The album was recorded at Toronto’s Canterbury Sound by veteran engineer Jeremy Darby and produced by Maury Lafoy, who also played bass along with the core band of drummer Mark Mariash, keyboardist Robbie Grunwald, and guitarist Swinghammer. Centered around nylon string and Rhodes, the skillfully constructed arrangements sparkle with trumpet, trombone, oboe, clarinet, recorder, and harmonica. Backing vocalists Mia Sheard and Jennifer Foster add a signature sound throughout the songs with intricately layered counterpoint parts. With his celebrated experience and sonic sensitivity, David Travers~Smith created the exquisite mix.
♦♠♦ “Kurt Swinghammer’s fertile songwriting imagination gave this project an absolutely amazing jumping off point for both Ron Sexsmith’s straight to the heart lyrics and Lori Cullen’s beautiful interpretations. It the rarest and finest combination of music, lyrics and voice I’ve worked on.” — Producer Maury Lafoy
♠♦♠ The first Lori Cullen CD came out at the start of a new century. Garden Path reflected a young sensibility informed by her heroes Joni Mitchell and Jane Siberry. Two years later she shifted gears to jazz standards for the well received So Much. Her third release Uneven Hill focused on original writing and dramatically broadened the scope of her sonic world. Calling For Rain in 2006 brought together all the previous elements to create a hybrid of jazz and pop which established her artistic identity. It was nominated for a Best Vocal Jazz Juno and one of her original tunes won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Council Of Folk Festivals. The CDs Buttercup Bugle and That Certain Chartreuse continued to define her reputation as a brilliant interpreter of covers, as well as a distinctive original writer, and expanded her reputation overseas with releases in Japan.
♠♦♠ Lori’s seventh album is a confident, mature artistic statement inspired by the personal milestone of motherhood.
♠♦♠ A Toronto album launch concert for Sexsmith Swinghammer songs has been announced at Hugh’s Room on October 29.
Bio
♦♠♦ It’s her singing that always draws attention, and partly for the things that it doesn’t have. No vibrato, no trendy affectations, no unnecessary melodic ornamentation. Just a pure and uniquely beautiful voice.
♦♠♦ It started happening in the late 90’s at the Free Times Café — an important singer/songwriter incubator for Toronto’s resilient acoustic scene. With a natural flair for performing, she honed her skills by hosting the weekly open mic night and cultivated an early fan base of peers in the local music community.
♦♠♦ The first Lori Cullen CD came out at the start of a new century. Garden Path reflected a young sensibility informed by her heroes Joni Mitchell and Jane Siberry. Two years later she shifted gears to jazz standards for the well received So Much. Her third release Uneven Hill focused on original writing and dramatically broadened the scope of her sonic world. Calling For Rain in 2006 brought together all the previous elements to create a hybrid of jazz and pop which became her lasting artistic identity. Largely a collection of carefully curated covers, it was nominated for a Best Vocal Jazz Juno. One of her original tunes on the album won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award from the Ontario Council Of Folk Festivals.
♠♦♠ The late Chris Dedrick, revered leader of 60’s chamber pop faves The Free Design, heard Lori on the radio and came to her next gig with an open invite to collaborate. His signature ornate brass and vocal arrangements adorn Buttercup Bugle. It’s release in 2007 was celebrated with a live show featuring a 12 piece band and broadcast nationally on CBC Radio. This album also initiated a licensing deal with a label in Japan. Around this time Polaris Prize winner and Arcade Fire member Owen Pallet asked Lori to contribute her distinctive vocals to the second Final Fantasy album.
♠♦♠ 2011’s That Certain Chartreuse presented an eclectic selection of covers by artists as diverse as Gordon Lightfoot and King Crimson, all creatively arranged by herself and her band of stellar Toronto musicians. The music prompted jazz vocal giant Kurt Elling to acknowledge in an interview that Cullen was one of his favourite new singers. Shortly after the album was released she put her career on hold and in 2013 Lori and composer/visual artist Kurt Swinghammer became proud parents.
♠♦♠ Ron Sexsmith, who has been a huge fan of Lori’s for years, suggested to Kurt Swinghammer that they co~write an album of material specifically for Lori to sing. Sexsmith Swinghammer Songs is the result of a very inspired collaboration, and sure to draw attention, as always, to her voice.
Website: http://www.loricullen.com/
Label: http://www.truenorthrecords.com/album/906
Bandcamp: https://loricullen.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriCullenmusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loricullenmusicpage/
THAT CERTAIN CHARTREUSE
★ Lori interprets 10 eclectic songs by a wide range of writers in her genre defying style, and presents a new original composition as well.
★ Tunes made famous by Shania Twain and Suzanne Vega rub shoulders with a cult classic from King Crimson, while local composers Jory Nash, Kurt Swinghammer and John Millard are represented beside a chestnut from the grandfather of Toronto singer/songwriters, Gordon Lightfoot.
BUTTERCUP BUGLE
★ At the intersection of jazz, easy listening, orchestral pop and acoustic folk is the sound of Buttercup Bugle.
★ Co~produced by Chris Dedrick ~ mastermind behind the legendary 60’s Sunshine Pop vocal group Free Design.
CALLING FOR RAIN
★ Along side two original works Calling for Rain is full of other people’s songs. A collection of mature songs that highlight the craft of song writing and the emotional power of a direct and intimate lyric.
★ Rare gems by Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Newman, Bruce Cockburn, Richard Thompson, Harry Nilson, Henry Mancini and Irving Berlin.
SO MUCH WITH THE RON DAVIS TRIO
★ A switch of gears in to start singing some jazz standards and pop songs with the Ron David Trio.
UNEVEN HILL
★ “If music had the power to reduce stress, this would be the album to do it… Lori Cullen’s effort could add atmosphere to a construction site. A true artist who has created an important work of contemporary Canadian music.” — Penguin Eggs
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★