Digging Me Digging You

The Physician - video from Hugh's Room in Toronto

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:09:16 -0400

The Physician - video from Hugh's Room in Toronto

Press Highlights

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:41:00 -0400

“Cervini’s subtle navigation, fine enunciation and wise choice of material, combined with Oded Lev-Ari’s elegant arrangements, make this CD a gem” – Downbeat Magazine, Editor’s Pick

“Amy Cervini stands out from the pack in her generation.” - Allmusic.com

“…she delivers each with deft authority, easily capturing the effortless swing of Dearie’s delivery while making ample use of her own richly coloured tone. Definitely a disc to dig.” – The Globe and Mail

“Cervini’s honeyed voice is laced with just enough arsenic to mirror the sweet yet piquant duality of Dearie’s deliver.” – Jazz Times

“Cervini makes the lyrics sparkle.” - The Ottawa Citizen

“Excellent jazz vocal album by the talented singer backed by a ridiculously impressive cast…” – eMusic

“Digging Me, Digging You is a brilliant work of vocal beauty and composition choices.” – JazzWrap

“Amy Cervini is the perfect choice to reinterpret Dearie’s works.” – The Dirty Lowdown

“Amy Cervini has distilled the strengths and siphoned off the weaknesses of the Dearie method in her marvelous tribute.” – eMusic (Britt Robson)

“Amy has a wonderfully clear warm alto voice with excellent enunciation — 5 Stars“ - Audiophile Audition

“an impeccable release that is as entertaining as they come!” - @Critical Jazz

“From beginning to end, “Digging Me, Digging You” will make you smile - if this recording does not brighten your day, seek outside help.” – Step Tempest

“Amy Cervini has everything to become a major voice in modern jazz.” – Jazz, Blues & Co.

“…a joyful effervescence that’s emotionally honest and affirming…” – ICON

“Cervini is a talent deserving attention, making some very strong choices with Digging You Digging Me .” – All About Jazz

“clear diction and secure intonation, embedded in elaborate arrangements” – Der Sontag

“Cervini digs Blossom Dearie, has the voice and attitude to pull off a tribute album and does so in fine fashion.” – MidWest Record

“Amy Cervini is a sublime conqueror of The Great American Songbook…” – Gaffa.dk

“Filled with humour and wit, Amy Cervini’s Digging Me, Digging You is a loving but never hokey homage to Blossom Dearie.” – Blinded by Sound

“Thankfully, we have sophisticated singers like Amy Cervini that know the power of an artfully-written, sensitively-performed song.” – Jazz History Online

“…it is Cervini’s talent and personality, which sparks this delightful and entertaining offering. Just like Blossom Dearie, Amy Cervini is a very special singer and this listener looks forward to digging her more.” – NYC Jazz Record

NYC Release dates

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:58:23 -0500

Hope to see you at one of our New York area release dates! We’ll be at the Long Island Winter Jazz Fest on March 3 and at the 55 Bar on March 6 & 7 (joined by Anat Cohen, Nadje Noorduis, Jesse Lewis, Matt Aronoff & Matt Wilson - horrible band right? Too band they’re all such jerks.)

Radio

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:50:13 -0500

I’m very excited that “Digging Me, Digging You” is chartbound on the JazzWeek charts and is #34 on the CMJ charts! If you’re a radio person, please call your favorite station and request us!

Some more press quotes

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:11:46 -0500

“Cervini’s subtle navigation, fine enunciation and wise choice of material, combined with Oded Lev-Ari’s elegant arrangements, make this CD a gem” – Downbeat Magazine, Editor’s Pick

“Excellent jazz vocal album by the talented singer backed by a ridiculously impressive cast…” – eMusic

“Amy Cervini has distilled the strengths and siphoned off the weaknesses of the Dearie method in her marvelous tribute.” – eMusic (Britt Robson)

“Amy Cervini has everything to become a major voice in modern jazz.” – Jazz, Blues & Co.

“…a joyful effervescence that’s emotionally honest and affirming…” – ICON

DownBeat Editor's Pick!

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:52:06 -0500

I’m honored to have been chosen as an Editor’s Pick in this month’s DownBeat newsletter. Here is the review:

BY BOBBY REED
Amy Cervini, Digging Me Digging You (Anzic)

A successful tribute album illuminates the artistry of the performer who recorded it, as well as the artist who is being saluted. Such is the case with Amy Cervini’s third solo album, Digging Me Digging You, an homage to singer and pianist Blossom Dearie (1924–2009). Backed by a superb ensemble that includes Bruce Barth (piano), Jesse Lewis (guitar) and Matt Wilson (drums), Cervini gracefully interprets 13 tracks that were composed by or associated with Dearie. Cervini relishes the opportunity to highlight Dearie’s sense of humor, as evidenced by the funny lyrics and playful vocal delivery in tracks like Dave Fishberg’s “My Attorney Bernie” (“I am blessed with my attorney Bernie/ I’m impressed with the way he runs the store/ He’s got Dodger season boxes and an office full of foxes/ It’s amazing all the different things your average guy might need a lawyer for”). There’s also sly, darker humor as well, such as “I’m Shadowing You,” composed by Dearie and Johnny Mercer, with its lyric “both of us will be so independent…happy as can be, just you, the Secret Service and me.” There are also serious chops on display here, such as Avishai Cohen’s muted trumpet solo and Cervini’s breakneck delivery on “Down With Love” and Anat Cohen’s clarinet solo on the ballad “May I Come In?” The disc concludes with a slow, cello-centric arrangement of “Figure Eight,” a Bob Dorough composition that listeners of a certain age will remember from the “Schoolhouse Rock” educational cartoon series. Cervini’s subtle navigation, fine enunciation and wise choice of material, combined with Oded Lev-Ari’s elegant arrangements, make this CD a gem—regardless of how familiar the listener is with Dearie’s oeuvre.

An interview with Richard Kamins

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:06:00 -0500

Press Highlights, so far

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:04 -0500

“Digging Me, Digging You is a brilliant work of vocal beauty and composition choices.” – JazzWrap

“an impeccable release that is as entertaining as they come!” - @Critical Jazz

“From beginning to end, “Digging Me, Digging You” will make you smile - if this recording does not brighten your day, seek outside help.” – Step Tempest

“Cervini is a talent deserving attention, making some very strong choices with Digging You Digging Me .” – All About Jazz

“good song choices and good singing.” - Winnipeg Free Press

“clear diction and secure intonation, embedded in elaborate arrangements” – Der Sontag

“Cervini digs Blossom Dearie, has the voice and attitude to pull off a tribute album and does so in fine fashion.” – MidWest Record

“Amy Cervini is a sublime conqueror of The Great American Songbook…” – Gaffa.dk

Listen to tracks from the new record!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:04:00 -0500

Listen to tracks from the new record!

All About Jazz Review of Digging Me, Digging You

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:27:15 -0500

WILLIAM CAREY,

Published: January 20, 2012

It’s funny hearing such signature Blossom Dearie songs as “Dear John” and the Schoolhouse Rock classic “Figure Eight” without that oh-so-identifiable voice and delivery. Funny, but Amy Cervini is a talented enough vocalist that it isn’t the slightest bit distracting to not have that adorably individual style and delivery that is unmistakably Blossom Dearie.

Cervini claims to be paying homage, not so much to her predecessor’s specific work as a pianist or a vocalist, but to the choices Dearie made as an artist. Cervini herself makes all the right choices on this, her third, recording. The players she’s chosen are not only top notch New York players, but the perfect backing band for a vocalist. Pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Matt Aronoff and drummer Matt Wilson are greatly sensitive, with huge ears and a feel for accompaniment that was also a feature of some of Dearie’s best records, which featured players such as Kenny Burrell, Ray Brown, and Jo Jones. Her choice of tunes is also superb, sprinkling in Dearie classics with less often heard gems such as “Rhode Island,” as well as standards that Dearie made her own, like “Tea for Two.”

The session opens up with “Everything I’ve Got,” with the perfect for tribute line, “Everything I’ve got belongs to you,” though this is not the case when it comes to Cervini. With a mature voice that’s nothing like the girlish voice to which Dearie was often ascribed, Cervini will never be mistaken for Dearie. Warm and full, while Cervini demonstrates some of the recently deceased singer’s delivery on “Down with Love,” she doesn’t try to “do” Dearie. Barth plays wonderfully throughout, especially on ballads such as “I Like You, You’re Nice,” while Wilson continues to show why he is one of the most in-demand drummers around, further proving his ability to play in any setting and approaching the session with a restrained and laidback approach that is pitch-perfect for some classic Dearie bands.

One problem with tributes is that—especially when they are effective—it might ultimately be preferable to go straight to the source, and Digging Me Digging You does serve as a reminder of just how great Dearie was. There are moments when the songs feel a tad impersonal compared with the originals; how can any voice be quite as personal and special as Blossom Dearie’s? Still, Cervini is also a talent deserving attention, making some very strong choices with Digging You Digging Me .

Review by @Critical Jazz

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:31:36 -0500

Thanks to Brent Black for this great review of the new record!

“You will dig this…

Amy Cervini is not a singer, not a vocalist but a wonderful story teller. Amy Cervini is an artist. Digging Me Digging You is breathing new life and for some people perhaps first discovery into the hip jazz pixie Blossom Dearie. While the release title is drawn from the lyrics to “Hey John” a song Dearie penned after becoming friends with John Lennon,Digging Me Digging You is a wonderful look not just at Dearie but a rising vocal star in Amy Cervini.

Unlike the American Idol and X-Factor flavored vocal pyrotechnics of vocalists whose greatest claim to fame may be a seven octave range despite not having the slightest clue as to how to use this gift artistically, Cervini is real. Cervini plays catch and release with certain notes all while keeping the melody front and center. Joined by an all star New York jazz combo, Cervini covers tunes such as “Everything I’ve Got” and “Tea for Two” and once again makes old school become new cool with relative ease.

This eclectic if not quirky set of tunes covers a wide range but is easily accessible to all tastes. On “Everything I’ve Got” Cervini conveys the right amount of attitude, sass and playful exuberance without ever hitting that self indulgent trip wire that a “singer” might otherwise find quickly. “I Like You, You’re Nice” is an intimate ballad delivered with a subtle sensuality that is refreshing in the hands of a true artist. The rhythm section of Bruce Barth on piano, Matt Aronoff on bass and drummer Matt Wilson play with and not around Cervini which adds great texture and depth to a release full of intriguing nuances. Meters are slightly altered and arrangements slightly tweaked but everything comes together as a unique and invigorating take on classic vocal jazz.

Not familiar with Blossom Dearie? That’s cool. Cervini will do the introductions on an impeccable release that is as entertaining as they come!

And…You will dig it.

5 stars!”

New video of "Rhode Island"

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:24:33 -0500

New video of "Rhode Island":

A performance with Pete McCann on guitar and Matt Aronoff on bass

Another version of the cover photo

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:07:07 -0500

Another version of the cover photo

A bit more about the record

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:54:00 -0500

“With this album,” Cervini says, “I’m not paying tribute so much to Blossom Dearie as a singer and a pianist as I’m paying tribute to the choices she made as a singer and a pianist.” The Toronto-bred, New York-based Cervini was told by people that she sounded like Blossom Dearie “before I had even heard her sing – and once I did, I recognized a lot of the way I felt about music and singing in her. She seemed like a kindred spirit.”

Dearie was a pianist as well as a singer, and because Cervini is an instrumentalist herself – having studied piano and saxophone from Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music to the New England Conservatory – she felt a kinship there. And there was more: “She wasn’t selling sex – she wasn’t a bombshell. That was cool to me. She was hip enough to hang with Miles and Gil, so she was more like one of the cats. She had a little-girl voice, but there was no bullshit to her at all: She had this natural, melody-focused delivery, and one that really swung. There weren’t any acrobatics, no melismas for days. She was just really musical and had that subtle wit you can hear both in her choice of songs and the way she conveys the lyrics. And she did `Tea for Two’ as a ballad – she was quirky. I like to compare her to someone like Nellie McKay today. In fact, when I do my Blossom sets, I include Nellie’s `I Want to Be Married,’ because it fits so well.”

A profile of Blossom Dearie

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 07:30:58 -0500

A profile of Blossom Dearie:

Check out this great profile of Blossom by Kylie Minogue on the BBC

Some info from the press release

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:30:00 -0500

Amy Cervini – whom The New York Times describes as “a thoughtful and broad-minded jazz singer” for her free-spirited, genre-blind approach – pays homage to a childhood idol with Digging Me, Digging You: A Tribute to Blossom Dearie. To be released in January 2012 by Anzic Records, Cervini’s third solo album features her backed by a band of all-star New York jazz players as she re-envisions the vintage art of “jazz pixie” Blossom Dearie via a contemporary sensibility. Time Out New York has praised Cervini’s work for “tearing down boundaries between old and new jazz styles, rock, pop, country and more – a reminder of Duke Ellington’s old axiom that there’s just two kinds of music, good and bad.”

Blossom Dearie (1924-2009) was a jazz singer beloved by the cognoscenti from New York to London to Paris and beyond. Miles Davis and Gil Evans were among her famous fans and friends in the ’50s, to be joined by John Lennon in the ’60s. Dearie said her key influences included Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and the team of George Burns & Gracie Allen; that, wrote jazz vocal authority Will Friedwald, was “a statement that speaks volumes about the nature of her music and the importance of humor therein, particularly mischievous, impish humor.” Dearie paired a small-yet-pure voice with an ever-swinging sense of rhythm, and she had a deft way of delivering a lyric. Friedwald described the storytelling in her singing as being like a striptease, “giving up secrets only slowly and reluctantly.”

Digging Me, Digging You – the album title drawn from the lyrics to “Hey John,” a song Dearie wrote after bonding with John Lennon on a TV chat show (“Hey, John, look at me digging you digging me”) – is more than an homage to Dearie’s vocal sensibility and repertoire; it’s a tribute to the way she and other old-school artists made records. Cervini and her “family” of musicians – including pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Matt Aronoff, drummer Matt Wilson, clarinetist Anat Cohen and trumpeter Avishai Cohen, among others – recorded mostly live in the studio with everyone together, without rehearsals and in a single eight-hour day. Producer Oded Lev-Ari made artful, sympathetic arrangements beforehand, though there was enough room in the music that Cervini often told the musicians to play what they felt. And in James Farber, they had an ace recording engineer who could handle it all on the fly.

Check out the new album cover!

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:07:43 -0500

Check out the new album cover!

Some studio shots from the session.

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:40:00 -0500

Some studio shots from the session.

A sneak peek behind the scenes at our recording session.

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:04:41 -0500

A sneak peek behind the scenes at our recording session.