Colorado-based Jazz chanteuse Mellani Day has the intuition and drive to not only create great tunes which future generations will love and cherish, she has the potential to develop a wide audience as the music unfolds. Her first full-length CD 'Mostly True', set for release in August 2006, features renowned jazz pianist Eric Gunnison as co-producer. Joining Mellani on the CD are members from the Dazed Band including Jamie Krutz, guitar and electric violin; Michael Willis, bass; Keith Whiting, Drums; on selected tracks Sky Canyon, vibes and congas; Phil Garcia, guitar; Bob Rebholz, sax; and Dirk Mewes on the bonus track playing the Uilleann bagpipe and a whistle made out of a ski pole. The whole album is rich mix of genres... from smooth jazz & blues to reggae & calypso.
Mellani previous three song EP, 'Shy to Sure," was welcomed with rave reviews. Two of the songs - "Shy to Sure" and "Jade to Sapphire" - won honorable mentions in the 2004 Billboard World songwriting competition, while the third song, "Losin'" received extensive airplay on Denver's radio station 99.5 The Mountain. All three tracks also received regular Internet radio play in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan.
It was when Mellani went to college that she started writing songs. She soon began to seek out musicians to back her up in a variety of settings. She played keyboard and sang covers at student and community events with The Administration Blues Band at the international college she worked at in Heidelberg, Germany in 1992. Living in Europe exposed Mellani to a variety of world-musical styles which she incorporates in her songs. She relocated to Denver in 1994 and continued to write and perform at various songwriter sessions. In 1998, she joined Live Wire a working blues band in Denver that included some of her original songs in their sets. Since 2002, Mellani has also been playing a regular weekly gig in Aurora, Colorado with the Experience Band.
Eventually, the drive to focus on original music that incorporated all of the musical influences she loves - classic vocal jazz, rock, blues, Latin and reggae/island beats - led her to form her own band, Dazed, comprised of five musicians with backgrounds in jazz, folk and rock. Dazed beautifully expresses the joy, life issues and intelligence featured in her songs.
www.mellaniday.com
www.dazedband.com
NEW CD: MOSTLY TRUE
'Mostly True', co-produced by Eric Gunnison, and featuring the Dazed Band, consists of original vocal jazz-centric tunes that range from blues to island/reggae to yes, jazz by Mellani Day, and one cover - a bluesy version of Huey Lewis' "I Want a New Drug." Mell's music has been deemed "lounge-y."
1. "If They Only Knew" - a blues rock rager
2. "Something to Swear By" - call it spy jazz
3. "Progress" - a reggae jazz romp (with a bit of R&B thrown in) / a Billboard Song Competition Honorable Mention
4. "I Want a New Drug" - a fresh and jazzy take on the hit song by Huey Lewis
5. "You Can Get There" - encouragement that could be a TV show soundtrack
6. "Yesterday's Lei" - say it out loud and you'll know what this reggae song's about
7. "So Much of Nothing" - a calypso dream of time in warmer places / reminiscent of a Jimmy Buffet classic
8. "My Heart" - written about the sweetness and sadness of living with someone who has a long term illness
9. "Power Struggle" - a song for poor Atlas, who has a job to do but wants to enjoy life a bit
10. "Joy Tonight" - another cheerful reggae track
11. "Don't You Hate It?" - a cynical question in jazz clothing
Bonus Track. "True Love (A Wedding Song)" - that Celtic-style wedding song / Billboard Song Competition Honorable Mention / features Dirk Mewes playing the uillean bag pipes and a whistle made out of a ski pole / Awesome Braveheart-ish sound. |
|
Facebook
Twitter
Contact Artist
Add to Profile
Add to station