Nancy Harms - Dreams in Apartments

'Her voice is warm, with a touch of vulnerability, and a believability...a young jazz singer worth discovering.' --NPR 'Hearing Nancy sing almost any song makes you want to listen very closely, as if it's brand-new. Her sense of timing is such that each beat seems like a limitless expanse.' --Pamela Espeland, Bebopified 'Her timbre has a delicious edge to it, and her time is very fine...' --Award-winning author-critic Gary Giddins '..one of the finest jazz singers to come from our time.' --Richard Gangi, WFIT FM, Melbourne, FL '...on her rise to the top.' --All About Jazz Born and raised in Minnesota, Harms has relocated to New York City, where she made her jazz club debut in 2010 in the Village's THE BAR NEXT DOOR. She appears frequently at such leading venues as BIRDLAND, KITANO, ZINC BAR, SMALLS JAZZ CLUB, CORNELIA ST. CAFÉ, ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL, BAR NEXT DOOR, VIVALDI'S and many others. She performed at the 2010 SORTLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL in Norway, and has toured Italy annually during 2011, 2012, and 2013. She appears on trombone legend WYCLIFFE GORDON's CD "HELLO POPS" in two duets, performed in a series of shows with Gordon at DIZZY'S CLUB COCA-COLA in 2011 and in concerts in Toulouse, France. In 2012, Nancy recorded the CD "FINGER-SONGWRITER" as part of the JEREMY SISKIIND TRIO, with whom she frequently tours. Nancy was a regularly featured contributor to the 65-part public radio series "CERTAIN STANDARDS" in 2010-11. Her new CD, "DREAMS IN APARTMENTS", features AARON PARKS (piano), JOHN HART (guitar), DANTON BOLLER (bass), RJ MILLER (drums), and a special guest appearance by WYCLIFFE GORDON (trombone). Track by track info for Dreams In Apartments: 1. WEIGHT OF THE WORLD (Nancy Harms-Arne Fogel) An original tune, written just before the commencement of the album's recording sessions, this song reflects Nancy's observations regarding the lifestyle, the people and the pressures of living in NYC and pursuing one's dream. It also reveals Nancy's sense of personal discipline and dedication to achieving her goals. It is, in a way, a modern equivalent of the classic 'work song', particularly in the chorus, wherein Nancy joins the rest of the population in the daily effort to 'Shake it off and start all over again'. 2. IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU (Jimmy Van Heusen - Johnny Burke) A beautiful, ethereal version of this 1940's classic, featuring Nancy's hauntingly gorgeous, yet simple, pared-to-the-bone reading of the lyric. Piano accompaniment only, as Nancy and Aaron Parks re-invent the song's sentiment and present us with a new slant on this age-old cautionary tale. 3. MOOD INDIGO (Duke Ellington - Barney Bigard - Irving Mills) An Ellington classic, written in collaboration with his orchestra's clarinet player (Bigard) and his publisher (Mills) in the early 1930s. This song is treated to a brand-new time signature, which suits Nancy's cool, introspective interpretation beautifully. Listen for Danton Boller's wonderful bass solo and Nancy's 'Heavenly ascent' at the song's finish. 4. AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL (Nancy Harms - Arne Fogel) Although totally different in feel as compared to 'Weight Of The World', this original song tackles some of the same subject matter. In a highly personalized statement, Nancy commits herself to her dreams and her goals, in the face of the daunting and at times isolating conditions this life offers. Perseverance pays off, however, and as long as one continues to savor the journey, life can indeed be beautiful, in spite of one's circumstances. This song features elegantly understated performances from Parks, Boller and Miller, as well as a marvelously triumphant trombone solo from Guest Star Wycliffe Gordon, who then joins Nancy for some harmony and obligato as she resumes her warm, intimate vocal. 5. NEVER LET ME GO (Jay Livingston - Ray Evans) Hard to believe that this torchy composition was created by the same team who gave us the Christmas classic 'Silver Bells', but that is indeed the case. For this recording, the trio of Boller, Miller, and Hart (on guitar) provides Nancy with just the right kind of soft, cushion-y backdrop she needs with which to effectively create a performance that absolutely overflows with sensuality. Harms sings with such warm intimacy that it almost obscures the richness of her musicianship as displayed, but it's all here: The incredible vocal range and tasteful phrasing, combined with her sensitive interpretive abilities. A majestic performance. 6. FROM MY FIRST MOMENT (Sam Babenia - Jesse Cook - based on Satie's 'Gymnopedie for piano #1) This version of the Satie composition was a hit for young Charlotte Church not too many years ago. Nancy loved the melody, and the lyrics are particularly meaningful to her, so this was a natural for inclusion. Jeremy Siskind, a gifted young pianist with whom Nancy recorded the album 'Finger-Songwriter' and frequently tours, co-arranged this version with Nancy. 7. OUT OF COMFORT (Nancy Harms) Musically speaking, a dreamlike, almost impressionistic composition, but with a message that's straight to the point: Nancy, the young woman who left the comforts of her home, her community, her friends and family... and took a chance. Left with just 'bones and hope' (along with determination, talent, intuition and intelligence), she makes progress, she 'builds', she 'improves'... Within this song, Nancy intimately shares the challenges, telling her story with a sense of quiet confidence, and then letting the instrumentalists take over to express Nancy's sense of wonder and the rush of experiences she's had thus far. The album's most adventurous track, and the most personal. 8. SOMETHING REAL (Nancy Harms - Arne Fogel) The earliest of the Harms - Fogel originals to be written for this CD. This track features Aaron Parks on three different instruments: Acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes (electric piano), and Hammond organ. John Hart's exciting guitar sound cuts through, as Nancy expresses a form of protest, directed towards anyone who might imagine that the way to a woman's heart is to objectify her, or to bombard her with cliches: She's had enough. Nobody enjoys meeting people and forming enduring friendships more than Nancy, but it's best when it's based on 'something real'. The subject matter is serious, but the song was great fun to write, and it's played with a wonderful sense of energy. 9. MIDNIGHT SUN (Johnny Mercer - Lionel Hampton - Sonny Burke) One of the most beautiful of standard tunes in the Great American Songbook and Jazz repertoire, 'Midnight Sun' is a tune that Nancy first had sung back in 2009 as part of a centennial tribute to Johnny Mercer, presented in Minneapolis, MN. Nancy's rendition further enhances the dreamlike, wondrous, shimmering quality of the song, as does Parks' piano solo. 10. WHILE WE'RE YOUNG (Alec Wilder - William Engvick - Morty Palitz) Nancy recorded this by 'special request': from Aaron Parks! During his early discussions with Nancy, he suggested that this would be a wonderful addition to the album, and he was so right. It provides a beautiful, hopeful and brightly philosophical conclusion to this CD, which often deals with the harsher reality of the day-to-day.

1) Weight of the World
2) It Could Happen to You
3) Mood Indigo
4) And It's Beautiful
5) Never Let Me Go
6) From My First Moment (Gymnopedie for Piano No. 1)
7) Out of Comfort
8) Something Real
9) Midnight Sun
10) While We're Young