GIGI MACKENZIE: Skylark (2006)

GIGI MACKENZIE
Gige é mais uma cantora excepcional que ainda não alcançou o sucesso que merece. E pelo visto vai ficar assim mesmo: um segredo bem guardado, como tantos outros. "Filha de peixe" (ou seria sereia ?), segue os rumos de sua mãe, Gisele, ilustre desconhecida no Brasil, mas de grande sucesso na TV dos USA nos anos 50. Este é o primeiro álbum de Gigi. Espero que venham outros...
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GIGI MACKENZIE
Gigi Worth MacKenzie was born (1962) to celebrity parents in a very musical family. Her famous mother, Gisele MacKenzie, was a big star both in Canada and in the US. Gigi grew up surrounded by family friends like Jack Benny, Oscar Peterson, Dean Martin, Dick Clark, Rosemary Clooney, Mike Douglas, Phyllis Diller, Herb Ellis, Dom DeLuise, Steve Allen, Buddy Ebsen, Angela Lansbury, Lorne Greene, Ray Brown, Robert Goulet, Carol Burnett and Dinah Shore. Gigi started singing and playing guitar at age seven. She majored in music at Cal State Northridge and Pierce College. She also plays drums, percussion and mandolin. Gigi has recorded and performed all over the world with many celebrity artists including Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Nigel Olssen, Davey Johnstone, Dave Koz, Karla Bonoff, David Crosby, Gladys Knight, Marilyn & Alan Bergman, Tom Scott, Sandy West and many more. Now residing in West Toluca Lake, California. MacKenzie worked for 10 years as studio singer in Los Angeles. She has recorded national commercials and major movie soundtracks.
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ALBUM REVIEW:
“This CD literally came up from the ashes of disaster,” said Gigi MacKenzie. After having recorded the entire CD, Gigi received a call one night that the studio, which contained all of the masters for the CD and all her instruments, had been destroyed by a fire. “The whole record was gone” said the vocalist. Yet, she still managed to “resurrect” it in seven months. “You can quit or push on. We chose to keep going.” "Amazing, sultry, sexy and cool", best describes Gigi MacKenzie's debut album Skylark on the Morpheus Music label. An extremely talented multi-instrumentalist, the singer has a smooth magnetic style with a sultry alto range that has been
compared to Sade and the late great Karen Carpenter. Gigi brings a fresh style to beautiful jazz standards in this electrifying solo album. Her captivating sound that melds sprinkles of R&B with a good dose of modern jazz makes these songs breathe new life. Not only is her voice deliciously magnetic with a huge range, but a sense of intimacy unfolds as she accompanies herself on guitar, drums and percussion as well. These imaginative arrangements will make it feel as if you're hearing these great songs for the very first time. Skylark is a loving tribute to her mother, the late Gisele MacKenzie, star of both stage and screen. She attained huge popularity in the
1950's. As a tribute to her mother Gigi has, through the power of technology, produced a wonderful heart-warming duet with her mother (a la Natalie and Nat King Cole) from a recording Gisele made in 1956 of "Stranger in Paradise." Gigi’s voice soars with a collection of fifteen fresh arrangements of her favorite standards and one original. “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Cry Me a River,” “The Shadow of
Your Smile,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “Embraceable You” highlights the eclectic stylings of this dynamic performer. In the tradition of the jazz standards of yesterday, “Let’s Make a Go of It” was written and arranged by Gigi. (Album release, edited by CB)
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MINHA OPINIÃO - Gigi segue a tradição das grandes cantoras brancas norte americanas, reveladas nas últimas décadas (Karrin Allyson, Diana Krall, etc.) GM não é estritamente uma cantora de jazz: seu estilo mistura um pouco de jazz, R&B, pop e até bossa nova, na medida exata. Seu timbre lembra muito o de KAREN CARPENTER: voz sensual, bem colocada "classy and elegant". Uma delícia o arranjo "bossa-nova" do eterno tema "Moonlight in Vermont". E o que dizer de "Good morning heartache", "That´s all" e das outra pérolas incrustadas neste colar? Este primeiro álbum de GIGI é lindo, muito gostoso de se ouvir.
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GIGI MACKENZIE: Skylark (2006)
Arrangements by Gigi MacKenzie, Bobby Zee & Llew Matthews

TRACKS/FAIXAS:
1. Moonlight in Vermont
2. The Shadow of Your Smile
3. Small World
4. Embraceable You
5. Stranger in Paradise (Duet with Gisele MacKenzie)
6. Come Rain or Come Shine
7. Let’s Make a Go of It
8. Cry Me a River
9. Blue Moon
10. Tenderly
11. Hey There (Instrumental)
12. Skylark
13. Almost like Being in Love (Instrumental)
14. Good Morning Heartache
15. That’s All (Duet with Christopher Cross)
16. Moonlight in Vermont (Instrumental)