From the Critics:
The latest news coverage, from Pioneer Press, March 14, 2007:
French art songs get jazz twist is here.
Claudia Hommel, a sweet-voiced chanteuse born in Paris, raised in Detroit and now residing in Chicago,
has recorded an alluring CD in which she and vocalist Sean Harris
reinterpret songs by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) accompanied by Chicago jazzers.
It's a rewarding concept, ...Pianist Dennis Luxion's arrangements honor the composer's proportioned melodies and
impressionist harmony but also open the forms for improvisation.
Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press, 10/20/2006
"A fun mix of cabaret, jazz, and Faure"
For all who have fantasized about jazzing up art songs, try this CD of a group who has done it. The singing is cabaret-influenced light jazz style, while the rhythm section plays straight-ahead jazz in very witty and delightfully clever arrangements.
CDBaby review by Rose Marie Chisholm (University of North Texas)
In this ambitious and fascinating project, Fauré's melodies now fit comfortably in a 21st-century cabaret or jazz club, as well as the recital hall for which they were first composed.
For a new audience, Fauré's somber evocation of the famous poem "Clair de lune" can take its place among the better-known compositions based on that astronomical phenomenon. Lilting, sprightly lines, like "Mai" and "Au bord de l'eau", blossom into music at once contemporary yet true to their source. "Spleen" (a.k.a. "Melancholy") becomes a bluesy torch song, just waiting for Diana Krall or Madeleine Peyroux. And when you hear some more familiar tunes wending their way through the program - "Les feuilles mortes" (better known as "Autumn Leaves") or "La mer" (which Bobby Darin made famous as "Beyond the Sea") - rest assured that these standards belong here as well.
You won't find a better guide to the music of Fauré - to most anything French, for that matter - than Claudia Hommel, Chicago's homegrown chanteuse. But when you see that word, don't think Piaf or Dietrich. With a voice as clear as the bells of Notre Dame, Hommel is more the boulevardier: a stylistic inheritor to Maurice Chevalier, the quintessence of all things French, both happy and sad. As her voice twines with that of Sean Harris - Hommel's male counterpart, a throaty tenor whose full embrace of this material deserves special mention - they make the music sparkle, with insouciance and yes, with joie de vivre.
Neil Tesser, Co-host, "Listen Here!",the public-radio jazz review
www.listenhereradio.com
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From Presenters and fans:
About the recording
"Listening to the album, I'm in my own little jazz club and even whistling along. It's a joyous, positive experience!"
Barbara Wanke, Chicago
“Quite a production, indeed. The music with the varied accompaniments definitely takes on a layer of coloration that's appropriate to the project. What was impressive is the naturalness of the approach; there seemed to be a found logic just waiting to be released.
"I admire your skill ...and salute you for the striking accomplishment.”
Richard L. Eastline
About the performance:
“Your work is outstanding and you are a joy to work with!”
Carolyn Brode, Performing Arts Manager, Gorton Center, Lake Forest, Illinois
“What a special treat last night was! You all sounded so HOT!”
Christopher Kennedy, resident keyboard technician for The Metropolitan Opera House and creator and performer of the cabaret play, "Pulling Strings"
“It felt so good to host an event that has some real soul”
Norah Delaney, Program Director, Alliance Française, Chicago
The publicity slick is here.
Download a template version here.
For press commentary on Claudia Hommel's performances, visit: www.cabaret-paree.com
For press commentary on Bobby Schiff's performances, visit: www.bobbyschiffmusic.com
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