Grace Garland has that knack; lyrics that hit in the gut and a beat reminiscent of the great dance music of disco…with soul and swing. There’s so much history here to unravel as Garland’s discography is deeply rhythmic and singably melodic while reaching us where we live.
In 2020, she was nominated for the Broadway World Cabaret Awards for another blazer, “New York Attitude,” and that same year, it won Best Rock Song in the Clouzine International Music Awards (Clouzine also conferred the Best Indie Song on her “Lovers Never Lie”). She’s won silver for “I’ll Cry Later” and bronze for “Tits and Toes” (probably one of the funniest songs of the past few years). See a theme here?
“Got to Be Sure” features pianist Evgeny Lebedev with a release date of August 24. Says Garland: “GOT TO BE SURE was a song that was hidden in my library, that came to light during the downtime we had during the pandemic! I was thrilled with the discovery… Plus the lyrical message never goes out of style! The sound of the full band, with the background singers, is a definite joy to my heart! I had become used to working with a duo/trio (which I LOVE) and forgotten how wonderful that sound is to the ear and soul too. I love the unique originality of it; the feeling that one cannot truly describe the genre, like a ‘musical mutt’…pure fun and carefree vocals, and a nice groove. Evgeny Lebedev is one of the best at his craft! He ‘gets me’ as a singer/producer (there is no struggle, just cool vibes). He enhances my project/song with his talent as a jazz pianist extraordinaire.”
Not just a brilliant singer and cabaret host at Brooklyn’s Cafe Anyway, she sings absolutely flawlessly in Russian and has recorded a boatload of songs with the Grace Garland Band in Russia. Try the stunning “Million Alykh Roz/The Autumn Leaves” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzZnhFcJlM.
For more information, visit https://gracegarland.com and check out her first interview on this blog here.
Photos courtesy of and with permission of the artist.
(c) 2022 Debbie Burke
Debbie Burke - jazz author 
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