I am wrapping up a new repertoire of stories that are close to my heart. This collection of beautifully crafted songs were penned by great 20th century composers — Johnny Mercer, Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner, and Harold Arlen — as well as contemporary songwriters — Richard Bona, Brenda Russell and John Clayton. Stay tuned for release details!

RECORDING | New York City

	Producer Norman at the console listening to a playback		Norman and Ken French talking before the session
	"Pretty" Purdie ready to play		Paul Bollenback testing his earphones
	Paul West, the Gentle Giant		Singing a favorite ballad for the new recording.
	The smooth Bill Easley!		Celebrating with my manager, John Levy, at the end of the session

How blessed I am to be in such fine company — John Levy, Norman Simmons, Bernard Purdie, Paul West, Bill Easley, Paul Bollenback, and Ken French. In addition to their excellent playing, these gentlemen are great teachers whose experience, guidance and hilarious stories made our first recording session together an amazing and loving experience. We recorded six songs and I look forward to our next session.

One of my favorite moments in the studio was watching the way Norman Simmons communicates with the musicians to draw out what he needs from each of us. He beautifully demonstrated his vision of how the phrasing of the lyric on one particular song should be interpreted to really bring the story to life. He was absolutely right! When he finished, everyone in the studio applauded. I wish we had recorded it. Thank you, Norman.

My musical director, Ken French, has always been a huge fan of Norman Simmons. He was excited to work with Norman, playing keyboards on several songs. Thank you, Ken.

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie is also a dream to work with. This man is a human metronome with time so steady, who needs a clock? That is why his discography reads like a who's who from Aretha Franklin and B.B. King to Miles Davis. Like Norman, Bernard is a great teacher, sharing insights and fun stories. Thank you, Bernard.

I am delighted to have Paul Bollenback on my new recording. Paul — who has recorded and played with Joey DeFrancesco, Joe Locke, Chris McNulty and Jeff 'Tain Watts — made every note sing. We had a fun time together joking around with our "Brooklyn" accents. Thank you, Paul.

	Engineer, Randy Crafton, at Kaleidoscope Sound Studios

Paul West is a man of few words with a big sound. He has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington and Ray Charles to name a few. I enjoyed his gentle spirit and passion for the music. Paul, thank you.

I first heard saxophonist Bill Easley earlier this year in New York in a big band backing the great Frank Wess. On one of the songs at our recording session, Bill's playing was lush and reminiscent of the great Ben Webster and brought a huge smile to everyone's faces. He is also a wonderful storyteller, sharing with me some beautiful childhood memories of playing in his family's band. You'll love his version of "Straighten Up and Fly Right" from his new recording, Businessman's Bounce. Thank you, Bill.

My sincerest appreciation and admiration go to the remarkable John Levy. John's mentorship and friendship mean the world to me and I am honored to be under his tutelage. Thank you, John.

Norman arranged for our session at Kaleidoscope Sound, located one mile from Manhattan. Randy and his staff are the BEST. I love their slogan, "All music, no attitude." It's true! Thank you, Randy.

TO REHEARSING >