Descripción
Kuchocki Sings DiNovi Live in the Green Sanderson Hall at Hugh's Room, 296 Broadview Avenue With Juliann Kuchoki (vocals), Brian Dickinson (piano), Neil Swainson (bass), Mark Kelso (drums) and Rob Piltch (guitar) Special Guests: Sam Broverman & Andrew Scott Show at 2pm, Doors at 1pm$30+ in advance, $37+at the door JULIANN KUCHOCKI RELEASES KUCHOCKI SINGS DINOVI—BUT ONLY FOR YOU, A LANDMARK COLLABORATION WITH JAZZ LEGEND GENE DINOVI FEATURING NEW MUSIC BY PEGGY LEE DOWNLOAD All audio-bio-one sheet-liner notes-official album assets on https://www.juliannkuchocki.ca/epk Internationally acclaimed vocalist, producer and artistic director Juliann Kuchocki announces the worldwide release of her newest recording, Kuchocki Sings DiNovi But Only For You, now available on all platforms. Born directly from Kuchocki’s friendship and artistic partnership with legendary Canadian/American jazz pianist and composer Gene DiNovi, the recording is far more than a tribute. DiNovi himself performs on two tracks, “Boy Do I Have A Surprise For You” and "Once I Met A Day,” making the album an authentic collaboration between the two artists and a living musical document rather than a retrospective created after the fact. The project began in late 2019, when Kuchocki and DiNovi first came together to explore and bring his remarkable songbook to life. What followed became a seven-year journey shaped by circumstances neither artist could have anticipated. The COVID shutdown brought the original sessions to a halt, and by the time recording became possible again, DiNovi had largely withdrawn from performing. Determined that the project and its music would not be lost, Juliann Kuchocki continued the work, bringing together some of Canada’s finest musicians to complete the remaining material while keeping DiNovi’s own performances firmly at the centre of the recording. At the heart of the album is its title song, “But, Only for You,” a never before recorded or released song written by Gene DiNovi and the iconic Peggy Lee. Its appearance on the recording reveals a previously unheard chapter connecting two extraordinary songwriting careers. The album also draws from DiNovi’s collaborations with celebrated lyricists including Johnny Mercer, Spence Maxwell, Tony Velona, Gary Michael Dault and Mary Ann Maurer, offering a broader portrait of a composer whose music has quietly helped shape the language and history of jazz for decades. To realize DiNovi’s repertoire on record, Kuchocki assembled an exceptional ensemble of internationally recognized musicians. Violinist Drew Jurecka is a two-time Grammy Award winner. Drummer Mark Kelso has performed on four Juno-winning albums and has received four Juno nominations of his own. Bassist Neil Swainson has appeared on five Juno-winning albums, while guitarist Rob Piltch holds one Juno Award and one nomination. The recording also features award-winning pianist Brian Dickinson, with additional performances by pianists Adrean Farrugia, Nancy Walker, Ewen Farncombe and Charu Suri. Suri’s involvement brings another distinctive chapter to the project. An acclaimed pianist and composer who workshopped material with Kuchocki during the album’s development, Suri became inspired by DiNovi’s music and subsequently co-wrote an original composition with Kuchocki, “Waltz Of The Heart.” The song closes the album as a bonus track. Suri, who earned three Grammy nominations last year, appears exclusively on this final piece. Her performance provides a fitting conclusion to the recording and acknowledges the creative contribution she brought to the spirit of the sessions, although she does not perform on DiNovi’s compositions elsewhere on the album. Kuchocki brings an unusual combination of vocal artistry, production experience and historical stewardship to the project. Singing in five languages, she has developed an international career across Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States as a performer, producer, director and educator. Her training includes Sheridan College, the Boston Conservatory, Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, Alvin Ailey, Edge Performing Arts Center, Second City and the Randolph School of the Arts. She is also the founder and artistic director of the Wall Street Journal-acclaimed South Coast Jazz Festival, recognized for innovative programming, including TV/VOD and ASL editions and its contribution to Canada’s cultural landscape. Kuchocki Sings DiNovi But Only for You continues a distinguished recording career that began in Europe with KJ and Compotion, followed in Canada by Don’t Explain, produced with Bill King, and the chart-topping Broken Compass, which reached No. 1 and No. 2 on jazz charts across Canada and the United States. Reviewing that recording, jazz historian and author Scott Yanow described it as: “a highly appealing showcase for Kuchocki’s singing and imagination”, while Midwest Record’s Chris Spector praised her as “a dazzling performer whose abilities reach well beyond Canada’s borders”. Together with Blue Girl Green and the internationally distributed double-disc A Good Jazz Collection, released throughout Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan through EQ Music, those recordings have established Kuchocki as one of the defining voices in contemporary Canadian jazz. With Kuchocki Sings DiNovi: But, Only for You, Juliann Kuchocki delivers more than a new jazz album. Created alongside Gene DiNovi himself and preserving both his performances and his rarely heard repertoire, the recording stands as a living document of one of Canadian jazz’s most important yet insufficiently celebrated figures. It ensures that DiNovi’s music — and his place within the larger story of jazz — will continue to be heard, studied, performed and loved for generations to come.