Are you dancing too?
Joni Mitchell composer
John Latouche composer
Jerome Moross composer
Eddie DeLange composer
Jimmy Van Heusen composer
Didi Mudigdo composer
Antônio Carlos Jobim composer
Jeremy Challender composer
Digby Richards composer
John Lennon composer
Paul McCartney composer
Linda Calgaro arranger
Shine On Me was performed by the Glory Bound Groove Train, formed in 1997 under the musical directorship of performer and arranger Linda Calgaro. Inspired by the African-American vocal tradition, GBGT presents a repertoire of African-American Gospel and Gospel-inspired music. Glory Bound Groove Train is an a cappella choir of 18 spirited voices, with edge.
As a slave to lyrics, this album is a mixture of standards both pop and jazz with great lyrics, and three original songs written from the heart. Loving jazz standards I find it very hard not to record Gershwin, Rogers and Hart, Porter, Berlin, as through them and the American songbook I have honed my craft.
The title track Are You Dancing Too? was penned after seeing a play about people with Down's Syndrome. At one point in the play the characters are dancing all awkward and goofy. While dancing the actors dropped their Down's character roles, a huge mirror ball appeared and they became regular people, in love, elegant, gliding across a dance floor in 3/4 time. This had a profound impact on me as I was shown how they see themselves, just as we see ourselves. I have recorded with a small group of musicians. As with my previous albums I like to create space for them, to create their magic. I wish I could find a way to acknowledge the magic properly, and not diminish how important their contribution is. Thank you!
Artist
Debra Blaquiere
Debra Blaquiere is a Sydney-based vocalist-songwriter who has won over local fans as an independent artist with fresh claims on contemporary pop and graceful readings of jazz standards.
Audio previews
Tracks
- Blue Motel Room Joni Mitchell 7:27
- Lazy Afternoon John Latouche Jerome Moross 4:49
- Darn That Dream Eddie DeLange Jimmy Van Heusen 4:27
- Don't Want You Gone Debra Blaquiere Didi Mudigdo 5:25
- Desafinado Antônio Carlos Jobim 6:55
- Love's Dance Debra Blaquiere Jeremy Challender 5:37
- Little Piece Of Peace Digby Richards 5:51
- Are You Dancing Too? Debra Blaquiere 6:36
- Do You Want To Know A Secret? John Lennon Paul McCartney 3:50
- Shine On Me (Traditional) Arr: Linda Calgaro 1:44
Performers
- Debra Blaquiere
- Glory Bound Groove Train · a cappella choir · track 10
Composers
Jimmy Van Heusen
Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the melodies that still sit at the centre of the jazz and popular songbook: film and stage standards built for crooners, bands and late-night rooms, from Darn That Dream to Come Fly with Me.
Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Jobim fused samba with cool jazz to create bossa nova, writing songs whose sophisticated harmonies and beachside lyricism became permanent fixtures of the jazz and pop standard repertoire.
John Lennon
John Lennon's songs cut through styles and decades with plainspoken hooks and melodies that refuse to age. From Beatles classics to the solo anthem Imagine, his writing keeps finding new voices in jazz rooms, a cappella circles and the concert hall.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney's songs travel far beyond their rock origins. Melodic, singable and built for reinvention, they turn up here in jazz sets, a cappella harmony, intimate guitar ballads and even harpsichord with drums and bass.
Jeremy Challender
Jeremy Challender is a songwriter whose work appears on Australian jazz vocal recordings. His ballad If Wishes Were Kisses was a finalist in the 2004 National Songwriters Competition.
Eddie DeLange
Eddie DeLange wrote the lyrics that give shape to lasting American standards. His words ride under Ellington's Solitude and Van Heusen's Darn That Dream, songs still sought for their mix of longing and swing-era ease.
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell's songs turn private feeling into unusual harmony, from spare folk guitar and piano to jazz-inflected forms. Open tunings and plainspoken lyrics have made her catalogue a lasting source for other singers.
Where to listen
Are you dancing too? is available for streaming through Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.
Are you dancing too? is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- MCD 400
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 52 minutes 41 seconds
- Release date
- 8 Jan 2010
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 2010 Debra Blaquiere
- Category
- Jazz
- Genres
- Jazz & Improvised, Vocal & Opera
- Barcode
- EAN 9314574040029
Related recordings
Little Wing: Standards Inspired by Angels
Tried-and-true jazz standards fashioned around the theme of angels. Vocalist Debra Blaquiere is joined by award-winning pianist Joe Chindamo and bassist Philip Rex.