Clear Day (Empress Music Group)
Emilie-Claire Barlow with The Metropole Orkest
Released October 23, 2015
JAZZ FM 20 Best Jazz Albums of the 2010s
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lrGGBYPdCtr3ChGIJLwEKIgGBKn2aa-g4
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5uSLYICbu9SdGbGRQzmy0d?si=XcNgoERBS8G769t8ln05sg
About:
Clear Day is a mélange of folk and rock staples with songs by artists spanning all genres and time periods, from Brad Mehldau to Coldplay. The album is a narrative with each song telling part of Emilie-Claire’s personal story over a period of several years — “Each song represents my state of mind, a turning point, a crossroad, …The important thing was that the song needed to convey that particular moment in time.” The record also features a 70-piece Metropole Orkest, expanded from the usual 52 pieces line up and conducted by Jules Buckley. The album was produced and arranged by Steve Webster (bassist) and Emilie-Claire Barlow with orchestration by the duo as well as three orchestrations by Shelly Berger and two orchestrations by John Metcalfe (composer) arranger for Peter Gabriel’s New Blood Orchestra, and arranging by guitarist Reg Schwager. Webster and Barlow were honoured with a nomination for Producer of the Year at the 2015 Juno Awards, and the album took home the Juno for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.
Clear Day, featuring the Metropole Orkest is the most ambitious, challenging and rewarding musical project I’ve done to date. It’s incredibly special to me because it’s a collaboration between myself and my partner in life and music, Steve Webster, and because the musicla journey tells a personal story. Today is an exciting day for me because the album reverts back fully to my label, Empress Music, where we can introduce it to a wider audience via Believe Digital. I’m really proud of the music we made on this album, and very grateful to the 100+ musicians, engineers, studio technicians, arrangers, copyists… that lent their skills to bringing this story to life! Emilie-Claire
Track Listing:
1. Amundsen (Shelly Berger) 01:00
2. On a Clear Day (Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner) 05:18
3. Midnight Sun (Sonny Burke / Lionel Hampton / Johnny Mercer) 03:58
4. Because (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 04:54
5. Fix You (Guy Berryman / Jonny Buckland / Will Champion / Chris Martin) 05:42
6. Unrequited (Brad Mehldau) 06:37
7. Under Pressure (David Bowie / John Deacon / Brian May / Freddie Mercury / Roger Taylor) 05:03
8. Si j’étais un Homme (Diane Tell) 05:01
9. It’s Just Talk (Pat Metheny) 05:16
10. Feelin’ Groovy (Paul Simon) 04:30
11. La Llorona (Traditional) 07:18
12. I Don’t Know Where I Stand (Joni Mitchell) 04:10
13. Sweet Thing (Van Morrison) 03:24
14. Mineiro de Coração (Gordon Sheard) 03:55
Additional lyrics by Steve Webster and Emilie-Claire Barlow
Personnel:
Emilie-Claire Barlow: vocals
Reg Schwager: guitar
Jon Maharaj: bass
Chris Donnelly: piano
Larnell Lewis: drums
Kelly Jefferson: saxophone (soloist on 3, 9, 11), clarinet, flute
Additional Musicians
Chendy Leon: percussion
Melissa Lavergne: percussion
John Johnson: saxophone
William Carn: trombone
Kelsley Grany: trombone
Jason Logue: trumpet
Kevin Turcotte: trumpet/flugelhorn (soloist on 5, 14)
Melanie Doone: voice
Kathryn Rose: voice
The Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley
1st Violins: Arlia de Ruiter, Alida Schat, Sarah Koch, Denis Koenders, Pauline Terlouw, Rami Koch, Ewa Zbyszynska, Casper Donker, Christina Knoll, Tinka Regter, Polina Cekov, Pauline Koning, Barbara Erdner, Jake op’t Land
2nd violins: Federico Nathan, Herman van Haaren, Wim Kok, Robert Baba, Coleman Willis, Feyona van Iersel, Gideon Nelissen, Francoise van Varsseveld, Marta Lemanska, Annerieke Nentjes, Seda Erdem, Eva Lohse
Viola: Norman Jansen, Iris Schut, Isabella Petersen, Aimée Versloot, Alex Welch, Adriaan Breunis, Marit Ladage, Maria Sofia Espiga, Elizabeth Ralston, Maartje van Lent
Cello: Emile Visser, Maarten Jansen, Annie Tångberg, Jascha Albracht, Diederik van Dijk, Charles Watt, Bas de Rode, Wijnand Hulst
Double Bass: Erik Winkelmann, Arend Liefkes, Tjerk de Vos, Annemieke Marinkovic
Flute: Mariel van den Bos, Liset Pennings
Oboe: Sandra Zoer, Dorine Schoon
Clarinet: Leo Janssen, Marc Scholten
Bassoon: Remko Edelaar, Janine Teepen, Kaspar Snikkers, Tamara Smits
Horn: Rob van de Laar, Fons Verspaandonk, Elizabeth Hunfeld, Wim van den Haak
Trumpet: Roy Bruinsma, Martijn de Laat
Trombone: Bart Van Lier, Jan Oosting, Jan Bastiani
Timpani: Jeroen Geevers
Percussion & Mallets: Frank Wardenier, Joeke Hoekstra
Harp: Joke Schonewille
Metropole Orkest recorded at MCO Studio 1, Hilversum, the Netherlands, by Paul Pouwer, assisted by Dirk Overeem
Rhythm Section recorded at the Drive Shed, Toronto, Canada, by John “Beetle” Bailey, assisted by Taylor Kernohan
Vocals recorded at Studios Piccolo, Montréal, Canada, by Denis Savage, assisted by Patrice Pruneau
Produced and Arranjed by Emilie-Claire Barlow and Steve Webster
Mixed by George Seara, assisted by Luke Leveille
Mastered by Paul Blakemore
Graphic Design: Caroline Brown
Photography: Steve Webster
Review:
At a moment in her career when this Juno winner could have slowed down and rested on what even at that point had been an incredible career, she went a different route. Instead, Emilie-Claire Barlow put together the most ambitious recording of her career. With the help of the highly reputable 70-piece Metropole Orkest — one of the greatest orchestras in the world — Barlow and her writing partner Steve Webster went about writing and arranging incredible takes on material from Pat Metheny, Coldplay, The Beatles and more. The result was a creative high point and another Juno Award to show for it.
Brad Barker (JAZZ.FM91)
