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Nothing
focuses your attention on the important things in life more than
confronting -- and beating -- cancer and then starting a family.
Watching her children living in the moment and playing with abandon
made ELLIE MARTIN realize that you cannot take anything for
granted. Despite a successful and rewarding career in academia, the
singer and songwriter decided it was time to follow her dream and
record an album.
VERDANT, Martin’s debut recording,
showcases her wide ranging vocal and compositional talents. The album
comprises 12 original songs that mostly follow the arc of her life in
the last few years, reflecting her experiences as a woman, a mother,
and a cancer survivor. Martin’s voice is light and warm as she
skillfully navigates through her program of bebop, Latin grooves,
ballads, and swing, undaunted by challenging intervals.
Martin,
who lives in Toledo, OH, gathered for this recording some of the
finest Midwest-based musicians as well as guest artist PETER
ELDRIDGE, who plays piano and sings background vocals. Also
joining Martin is ARIEL KASLER on guitar, who has two albums
that feature original jazz compositions influenced by Middle Eastern,
Jewish, and Israeli music. Bassist KURT KHRANKE has
been a mainstay on the Detroit music scene for over 40 years. He has
worked with many jazz luminaries, including Sheila Jordan, Ray
Bryant, James Moody, Larry Coryell, Joe Henderson, Steve Turre, and
Clark Terry. OLMAN PIEDRA not only plays drums and percussion,
he is also Martin’s husband. Like Martin, he is an educator with a
doctorate in music. Grammy-nominated KEITH GANZ plays guitar
on two tracks and mixed the album. Rounding out the performers on the
project are VICTOR GONҪALVES (accordion), ANDREW BISHOP (clarinet), BEN
WOLKINS (trumpet), and MIKE HARRISON (background vocals).
Martin
opens the album with “Living for the Now,” which she wrote for her
two daughters. She wanted to capture the toddler’s universe and wrote
the piece as a fast Samba to reflect the frenetic energy of her young
daughters at play. “As Times Goes” is a ballad about losing love as
we age. The song is a duet that features Mike Harrison.
Martin
wrote “Dancers Serenade” as a tango to capture the push and pull of
power in relationships. It features Brazilian accordionist Victor
Gonҫalves. “Never Will I Worry” has a modern jazz-fusion feel. She
wrote the song after several of her friends got divorced and realized
that she never even saw the problems brewing below the surface. She
writes, “Thought it would last ‘til death do us part. / Promised
forever with a toast from the heart. / Buttoned up and brittle, /
Endless masquerade. / We tiptoe ‘round each other, /And the promises
we’ve made.”
Martin
wrote “Love Somehow Will Heal” for a close friend who died from
cancer when she was just 36. She wanted the song to have an intimate
feel, so she arranged it with just piano and clarinet accompaniment.
“Renewal” is a celebration of life. Martin wrote the song after she
was finally cancer free. Written in the hardbop style reminiscent of
the music that came out of Pittsburgh, “Steel City Eye” is an homage
to the city where she received her PhD.
“Verdant,”
the title tune, is a ballad about renewal. It encapsulates the theme
of the album with lyrics like “Verdant green comes to life once more,
/ Pale pinks in a field of barley / Meadow larks sing from tree to
tree. / I’ll be waiting under the oak for you. Climbing branches,
carving secrets, / Stealing kisses.” Martin wrote Flamenco infused
jazz piece “Lucianita” for her daughter. The piece was inspired by a
trip to Spain that she took with her husband shortly before their
daughter was born. The lyrics are in Spanish and capture her
daughter’s fiery, strong-willed personality. Martin wrote “Lady
Liberty” after attending the Woman’s March in 2017. The song has a
strong political statement about the power of diversity and the
strength of the nation through inclusivity. The song features a
moving guitar solo by Keith Ganz.
Martin
got the phrase “Step into Your Essence” from Kate McGarry during a
vocal lesson. It is a funky tune about accepting yourself for who you
really are. “I am
more than net worth, and I am not my things. / I am not my hair, or
the fancy clothes that I wear. / I'm tired of trying to be perfect, /
An age-old condition of waiting on permission, / And feeling like
you're not enough.” Martin closes VERDANT with “Moments.” The song,
which she wrote after her grandfather’s death, is about the memories
and love that are left behind after a loved one leaves us.
The
songs on VERDANT come directly from Martin’s life.
Audiences in the Midwest, where she tours extensively, have had
plenty of opportunity to hear Martin in concert. With the release of VERDANT,
a larger audience will finally get to enjoy the depth and breadth of
her artistry.
ABOUT
ELLIE MARTIN
Ellie
Martin is currently the vocal jazz instructor at the University of
Toledo, as well as Toledo School for the Arts. She has performed at
the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival, the Sunset Jazz Festival, and the
Michigan Jazz Festival. She was the featured vocalist with the
National Arab Orchestra in San Antonio Texas, and she has performed
alongside jazz luminaries Geri Allen, Terri Lynne Carrington,
Esperanza Spalding, the New York Voices, Jon Hendricks, and Afro
Blue.
She
completed her bachelor’s degree in voice at McGill University, a
master’s degree in vocal jazz performance at the University of Toledo
and a PhD in Jazz studies from the University of Pittsburgh under the
guidance of Dr. Nathan Davis and Professor Geri Allen. While at UT,
Martin worked closely with the legendary lyricist, vocalist and
distinguished Professor of Jazz, Jon Hendricks, and wrote her
master’s thesis and dissertation on Hendricks and the formation of
his seminal vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.
Martin
has given several national and international lectures on vocal jazz
historiography, improvisation, intersections between voice and
instrument, and media reception of race and gender in vocal jazz. Her
background in Jazz Studies and performance make her a unique and
distinctive educator and performer.
# # #
VERDANT
releases on
May 12, 2023 and is available everywhere.
Online: EllieMartinMusic.com Elliemartin.bandcamp.com
@Ellie.martin.music
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