Radio Gold Popular Network - ITALY
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CHANTAL CHAMBERLAND
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Listen to the simple beauty of the rendition of a forever classic as Cheek to Cheek and you'll understand near all about this album. A girl and her refined guitar, accompanied by a punctual rhythmic base and punctuated by refined soloistic inserts. Her voice up against the most varied repertoire: original compositions side by side with classics of the golden jazz era, mixed with modern pop successes. All offered with a soft touch, a great care for measure and subtle flavours and a great young capability to revive the history of music with involving power. With two bonus tracks that's worth by themselves the whole album. Finally don't forget to have a look at this girl's shoes."
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CHANTAL CHAMBERLAND
The Other Woman
Chantal Chamberland. The very name has a lovely musical lilt to it, so perhaps music has always been the destiny of this superbly skilled jazz vocalist. It has certainly always been the life-long passion of the Montreal-raised, Chamberland, and her new CD, The Other Woman, represents the full blossoming of her prodigious artistic talent.
Out now via Universal Music Canada, the disc is Chantal’s fourth solo release. Her previous albums (2002’s This Is Our Time, 2004’s Serendipity Street and 2005’s Dripping Indigo ) served notice that this was an artist to watch. They received radio play across Canada, notched rave reviews, and brought Chantal a loyal fan base in the U.S..
The Other Woman definitely ups the ante. The mandate of a great voice tackling great songs remains, while Chamberland’s decision to take a different approach to the recording pays off handsomely. She recruited acclaimed producer Danny Greenspoon (Jane Bunnett,Sophie Milman, Great Big Sea) and an A-list of Toronto jazz musicians for the sessions, and she is justifiably proud of the results.
Chamberland and Greenspoon set up shop in The Canterbury Music Company in Toronto, alongside such stellar players as drummer Mark McLean, bassist Marc Rogers, guitarist Rob Piltch, pianist Robi Botos, organist Dennis Keldie, cellist Kevin Fox and horn players Phil Dwyer, Perry and Paul White, Guido Basso, William Carn, and Steve McDade. -
On The Other Woman, the compelling results are equivalent to a Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese collaboration. It always helps to have a top-notch script, and Chamberland shows a deft touch in her song selections. Such much-loved jazz standards as “On The Street Where You Live” and “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” nestle snugly alongside French songs (“La Mer” and the bilingual “I Wish You Love”) and contemporary tunes like Sharon Washington’s “Little Wonder,” Sade’s “By Your Side,” and “All I Ask Of You” (from Phantom Of The Opera).
The result is a refreshing diversity of tempo and tone, and Chantal’s vocals move from sultry and soulful to bluesy and brassy with graceful ease. No vocal histrionics here, just a subtle yet always sincere take on material that resonates in her heart and soul.
“A slower song has to be one that really moves me,” says the singer. “For instance, Nina Simone’s ‘The Other Woman’ is a sad song with a beautiful melody, and I just knew I could pull it off. I thought it was important to have fun songs on this album too, so we have faster fun stuff like ‘I’m A Woman’ and Peggy Lee’s ‘Alright, Okay, You Win.’”
Chantal’s stylistic eclecticism comes naturally. She cut her musical teeth singing rock in Montreal bars (while still underage), then gained prominence in an acoustic folk-rock duo that shared stages with the likes of Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan.
Encouraged by the response from her audiences, Chantal recorded This Is Our Time, and the positive reaction it received confirmed she was on the right track. A triumphant 2004 appearance at the Montreal International Jazz Festival showed that this charming entertainer was equally at ease in front of a crowd of 100,000 as in an intimate supper club, and there has been no looking back.
A 2006 return to the Montreal festival was another hit, and La Belle Province has proven a very welcoming market for the fluently bilingual Chamberland. Closer to her current home, Chamberland won a People’s Choice trophy at the Hamilton Music Awards in 2004, while Toronto shows at Hugh’s Room and the 2008 Toronto Jazz Festival have demonstrated that, in a city crammed with female jazz singers, there is always room for one this talented.
With the release of The Other Woman, look for the ascent of this rising star to accelerate. Prepare to be seduced.
