Thursday, February 27, 2014

Jazz Instrumental CD of the Month - "Camille Thurman: Origins"

Jazz Instrumental CD of the Month
Camille Thurman: "Origins" (Hot Tone Music)

Featuring: Camille Thurman (tenor & soprano saxophones, flute & voice), Enoch Smith Jr. & Luis Perdomo (piano), Corcoran Holt (bass), Rudy Royston (drums), Shirazette Tinnin (drums & cajón), Brandee Younger (harp)

Recorded @ Samurai Studio (Queens, NY) on January 3 & 4, 2013
Engineer: Dave Stoller
Recorded @ Kaleidoscope (Union City, NJ) on October 3 & 4, 2011
Engineer: Sal Mormando
Mixing & Mastering: David Kowalski
Photo: Phillis Kwentoh
Graphic Design: Christopher Drukker
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On her Origins CD, Camille Thurman performs 11 original compositions, plus one apiece by Fats Waller ("Jitterbug Waltz," which I first learned in a 1971 album by Dizzy Gillespie with Bobby Hackett and Mary Lou Williams titled "Giants") and Saul Chaplin/Sammy Cahn ("Please Be Kind"). Thurman has major chops on all four of her instruments -- tenor and soprano saxophone, flute, and voice -- and an abundance of imagination to go along with them. She's also an outstanding writer, two of whose tunes, "In Duetime" and "Origins" -- both on the new CD -- were recognized by the ASCAP Foundation with Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer awards, in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Thurman was born in St. Albans, Queens, NY in 1986 and was introduced by her mother early on to the great vocal artists. She began playing flute at age 12, alto saxophone at 13, and switched to tenor at 14 after hearing Dexter Gordon. She went on to earn a B.A. in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Binghamton University before deciding to become a full-time musician. Currently a member of Jones's group and the leader of her own quartet, Thurman has worked in the big bands of Charli Persip (former Dizzy's drummer), Nicholas Payton, and DIVA Big Band; recorded with Dianne Reeves on her upcoming Beautiful Life CD; is in the all-star house band on BET's "Black Girls Rock" award show; and was the second runner-up for a Sassy Award in last month's Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition.

Mimi Jones, Camille Thurman, and Shirazette Tinnin performed together at APAP, New York last January, and with their respective bands at the Hot Tone Music CD release show in February @ Le Poisson Rouge, in NY.
Camille Thurman Origins EPK (HD Version)- Release Date February 2014
Camille Thurman EPK

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