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When
JUDY WHITMORE was a child, she liked to sit with a globe and
imagine what it would be like to visit far off countries. The idea of
seeing new vistas and interacting with different cultures filled her
with a sense of wonder. That yearning for adventure has stayed with
Whitmore her entire life, and now the vocalist is releasing her
fourth album, COME FLY WITH ME, a musical
journey around the world.
COME
FLY WITH ME
follows her 2022 release Isn’t It Romantic. All About Jazz said,
“Her grasp of emotional substance is superior, her timing impeccable,
her warm mid-range voice steady and clear as a bell. To affirm that
Whitmore brings out the best in every one of these songs would be a
completely accurate summation.”
Born
in New York City and raised in Studio City, California, Whitmore was
named after Judy Garland, a friend of her grandfather. A Renaissance
woman, she is not only a respected jazz and cabaret performer and
recording artist, but she is also a bestselling novelist, a theater
producer, a Marriage and Family therapist with a master’s degree in
clinical psychology, and a licensed commercial jet pilot.
Whitmore
married at the age of 20 and settled with her husband in Beverly
Hills. After having two children, they thought it might be better to
raise the family in a more natural environment, so she put her
singing career on hold and moved the family to Aspen, Colorado.
Although she learned to ski, can peaches, and saddle a horse, the
move to Aspen had a far greater impact on her life because she became
friends with her neighbors John and Annie Denver. Whitmore had a fear
of flying, and one day John, a pilot, invited her to join him on his
plane to help her overcome her fears. It obviously worked since it
was not long before she got her commercial jet pilot’s license.
There
probably are not too many female (or male) jazz singers who can say
they worked search-and-rescue missions for Pitkin County (Aspen) Air
Rescue or have licenses to fly seaplanes and hot air balloons. Flying
is still a big part of her life. During her time in Aspen, she was
also asked to serve as president of both the Aspen Playwright’s
Conference and the American Theatre Company because of her
significant fundraising abilities.
Whitmore
gathered a stellar group of musicians for this album. She first
brought on board six-time Grammy nominee CHRIS WALDEN as
producer and arranger. Walden has written more than 1,500 orchestral
and big band arrangements for artists including Michael Bublé, Aretha
Franklin, Paul McCartney, SEAL, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Barbra
Streisand, Josh Groban, and orchestras like the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Boston Pops. Walden
immediately enlisted JOSH NELSON, one of the most respected
jazz pianists on the West Coast. Also joining Whitmore are DAVID
DELHOMME (B3 organ), ANDREW SYNOWIEC (guitar), GEORGE
DOERING (mandolin), EDWIN LIVINGSTON (bass), JAMEY TATE
(drums), PETE KORPELA (percussion), NICK ARIONDO
(percussion), HENDRIK MEURKENS (harmonica), BOB SHEPPARD
(alto sax, flute), JACOB SCESNEY (tenor sax, alto flute), GREG
HUCKINS (bari sax, bass clarinet), BOB SCHAER (trumpet,
flugelhorn), KYE PALMER (trumpet, flugelhorn), ANDY MARTIN (trombone),
RAMSEY HAMPTON (trombone). Whitmore is also accompanied by a
large string section.
Whitmore
opens the album with “It’s Nice to Go Trav’ling.” She says, “I love
to wander down a street I’ve never seen before, eat food I’ve never
tasted before, and have the experience of something novel. I still
like to look at globes and wonder what it would be like to travel
somewhere new.” As a pilot, it is only logical that she would include
a dreamy version of the title song “Come Fly with Me.” Whitmore is
particularly fond of Italy and recorded “On an Evening in Roma.” She
has been to Carnaval in Venice three times and is currently preparing
to go a fourth. As Whitmore says, “I love the food in Italy. They
have three food groups – pizza, pasta, and gelato – and that’s just
fine with me.”
Among
Whitmore’s many accomplishments is producing a West End show in
London, where she lived for a year and a half. Her lush version of “A
Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” brings back fond memories of her
time there. Whitmore’s travels have taken her far and wide, and
whether she’s visiting Oxford or Avignon, she always prefers
accommodations that are more intimate and inviting. Big, corporate
hotels are not for her. “There’s a Small Hotel” captures her affinity
for out-of-the-way lodging.
Although
Whitmore is a pilot, she has a special affection for trains. She
loves to sit back and take her time, just watching the passing
landscape. She first heard “I Thought About You” when she was a
production assistant at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theater and has
loved it ever since. Although Whitmore has been around the world, she
has never been to Vermont. “Moonlight in Vermont” conjures for her
the quaint charm she envisions she’ll enjoy when she finally gets
there. She has been to Paris several times, because, like so many
people, she loves the food, the architecture, and the tree-lined
streets. “April in Paris” is her homage to the City of Light.
When
she travels, eating good food is pretty close to the top of
Whitmore’s agenda. She says, “I think Georgia has the best food in
the country. They put bourbon in everything.” She sings a duet with
Southern California singer ADAM AEJAYE JACKSON on “Georgia on
My Mind,” a tribute to her husband who hails from the Peach State.
Although she lived in New York City for just a few years when she was
young, she feels a strong family connection to it. Like the lyrics to
“Autumn in New York” – “Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds / In
canyons of steel / They're making me feel I'm home” – New York feels
like home to her.
Whitmore
likes to stand by the ocean shore and imagine what is over the
horizon, which is why “Beyond the Sea” resonates so strongly with
her. She closes the album with “Around the World,” a sweet ballad and
one of her favorite songs.
The
arrangements by Chris Walden on COME FLY WITH ME are
elegant and opulent. The musicianship is top-notch. With her warm
voice and easy sense of swing, Judy Whitmore is not only a superb
interpreter of songs from The Great American Songbook, she
beautifully conveys the joy and wonder she feels about the great,
wide world we all share.
# # #
COME
FLY WITH ME will
be released on January 17, 2024 and will be available at Amazon and
all streaming platforms.
Online:
Judywhitmore.com
Facebook.com/judy.g.whitmore
@JudithWhitmore
(IG/Twitter)
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Topic: Renaissance Woman JUDY WHITMORE Sings of a Life
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