Karrin Allyson

“If there’s a choir in heaven, someday the exquisite vocalist Karrin Allyson will lead it. She’s such an otherworldly talent that the creator probably already has her on heavy rotation,” said The Houston Press. Well, no worries, mate, Karrin Allyson will be part of this earthly choir for a very long time. But she is moving on, after a jam-packed career with Concord Jazz — thirteen albums, four Grammy nominations, and a recent self-produced holiday album, Yuletide Hideaway that won four stars from Downbeat. In May of 2015, as part of a new agreement with Motema Records, Karrin heads back into the recording studio for a very intimate look at the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

For Karrin, who actually played Nelly Forbush in a production of South Pacific as a teenager this album is a return. “I’ve been all around the world musically, from bop and bossa and chanson to blues and singersongwriters. And now, I feel like coming home. I find myself powerfully drawn to the world of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Why? Well, the tunes for starters, gorgeous melodies, near perfect lyrics, music that begs to be sung. Music filled with innocence, optimism, a confident can-do response to any problem, an appealing wiseguy humor, a sense that we all belong together on this wonderful planet. So, Rodgers & Hammerstein in very spare, honest settings — just a singer, telling the story with two masterful partners, the magisterial pianist Kenny Barron and the superb bassist John Pattituci, underlining and extending.”