Start/Stop Music
Photo: Sherri Diteman
Valerie's newest project is a recording of duets with pianist Tom Grant, one of the West Coast's best-known jazz musicians. Side By Side is a seamless blend of jazz standards, Tin Pan Alley favorites, bossa nova and lesser known classics. "I feel lucky to be making music with Tom," Valerie says. "He has such a vast musical vocabulary, and speaks the language of jazz so well. When it's just the two of us, we're able to listen and respond to each other in a way that feels like magic to me."
With impressive range and effortless delivery, Valerie injects new life into a collection of standards from the Great American Songbook. With clear timbre and flawless intonation, her voice is an integral part of the ensemble, riffing with the horns and sparring with the rhythm section. Like a seasoned jazz player, she finds the musical heart of each song. She sums up the "Knights of Swing" project by saying. "Doing this record got me reconnected with the reason I do music in the first place - because it brings me joy."
Valerie Day & Knights of Swing
Valerie Day & Knights of SwingProceeds from this CD benefit Artists for the Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for arts education in local schools.
In 1984, Valerie and husband, John Smith, recorded a self-produced five-song EP as the group Nu Shooz. Listener reaction to their funky dance track called "I Can't Wait," was strong and immediate - the kind of response known in radio jargon as "instant phones." Airplay spread and the tune made its way to Europe, where a Dutch engineer created a remix that came back to the US and caught fire in New York dance clubs. The album, Poolside, was certified gold, "I Can't Wait" reached #3 on the pop charts, was in the top 10 in Europe and Britain, and Nu Shooz was nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist.