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Press Release
A new force has swept into the world of jazz in a whirlwind of fresh air. Meet vocalist, songwriter and composer Brigitte Zarie. Her voice is stunning. Her music is timeless. Her appeal is universal. In a genre that embraces conformity, Brigitte offers refreshing originality. An innovator rather than a follower, Brigitte writes and composes her own material – everything from the lyrics to the music is created by her and her alone. On her new CD release, “Make Room For Me,” her emotionally charged singing and range of material firmly establishes her as one of the most unique talents to appear in decades, a performer of impeccable grace and style, and an artist altogether impossible to ignore.
Harkening back to the classic big band era of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, “Make Room For Me” is a stirring collection of original compositions, scorching Latin-flavored dance struts, and finger-snapping swing tunes performed by Brigitte’s Big Band and Jazz Quintet. Sultry and velvety, rough and ready, Brigitte’s vocals exude passion and urgency with every phrase. Matched with some of the industry’s top session musicians, including such luminaries as Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitar virtuoso Jeff Golub, bassist and producer Neil Jason (Brecker Bros, Dave Sanborn, Bryan Ferry, John Lennon) and the horn section from The Late Show with David Letterman, “Make Room For Me” exudes a textured, layered approach that fits together seamlessly.
The album was recorded live—a rarity in an age when musicians are seldom in the room together—creating a spontaneity and infectious energy that draws the listener in like a siren’s song of originality.
Born in Toronto, Canada to parents who hail from Casablanca, Morocco, Brigitte was raised in a musical household. Her father was also a jazz musician, playing sax, keyboards, and other Moroccan instruments. With such musicality around her, the urge to create came to her at an early age. “I was writing songs since I was a little girl. It never occurred to me to sing someone else’s songs, even though there are many great ones,” states Brigitte. She found further inspiration by listening to many artists. She cites Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, Mahalia Jackson and Antonio Carlos-Jobim among her many influences.
All of her creativity, originality, and musical innovation reach a stirring crescendo in her debut CD, “Make Room for Me,” which is the ultimate expression of a life of staying true to her own inner voice. “I was supposed to be singing jazz my whole life,” Brigitte says. “I’m in a wonderful place right now, and am totally blessed to be singing and writing the music I love.”
Now it is time for the rest of the world to experience the same love, passion, and majesty of Brigitte’s talents with “Make Room For Me.” Old school has never sounded so new.
