| 1 CD |
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| Label TCB The Montreux Jazz Label |
UPC 0725095211321 |
Catalogue number TCB 21132 |
Release date 30 April 2001 |
In many European countries, it isn't uncommon for people to study English as a second language and become fluent at an early age. Consequently, the continent is full of talented jazz singers who have no problem expressing themselves in English even though it isn't their primary language. From Sweden's Jeanette Lindström and Denmark's Caecilie Norby to the Netherlands' Soesja Citroen, many European jazz vocalists sound perfectly comfortable in English -- and the same thing can be said about Italy native Anna Lauvergnac. The vocalist shows a lot of promise on this self-titled debut album, an enjoyable, if imperfect, cool jazz/post-bop effort that employs mostly European musicians. Lauvergnac's English is quite good, and even though she sings with a slight accent, she is easily understandable. Lauvergnac is also expressive, but in a subtle, understated way. Far from a belter, Lauvergnac obviously admires jazz' cool school, and her tasteful performances of well-known standards like "You Must Believe in Spring" and Billy Strayhorn's "Day Dream" give the impression that she has spent a lot of time listening to Chris Connor, Julie London, and other cool-toned goddesses. Lauvergnac doesn't get into any high-speed scatting or complex vocalese on this Swiss release, which emphasizes torch singing and values feeling over technique. The CD's main shortcoming has to do with her choice of material -- like so many 21st century jazz artists, Lauvergnac takes the easy way out and inundates listeners with standards that have been done to death over the years. She would do well to take a hint from British jazz singer Claire Martin and become more adventurous and less conventional when choosing songs. But while this album isn't as chance-taking as it could have been, it is consistently likable and demonstrates that Lauvergnac is well worth keeping an eye on.
Anna Lauvergnac was born in Trieste, Italy, where short after starting singing jazz she started performing with some of the best jazz musicians of the North Italian jazz scene (Franco Vallisneri, Francesco Bearzatti, Renato Chicco, Glauco Venier, Bruno Cesselli and Paolo Conte’s guitarist Andrea Allione)
In 1989 after attending a summer clinic she won a scolarships at the Berklee College of Music, but she decided to move to Graz, Austria, instead to study at the University of Performing Arts with Jazz Giants Jay Clayton, Mark Murphy, Andy Bey and Sheila Jordan. In the same years she often traveled to New York, getting deeper and deeper in the music, studied with Barry Harris and returning to Europe founded a quartet and a septet with pianist/arranger Claus Raible.
In 1994 she moved to Vienna where she soon was invited by star arranger-composer mathias ruegg to perform on different special Events with Europe leading Big Band : the Vienna Art Orchestra. She started as well a serial of recordings for ORF, the Austrian Radio, presenting each year a different project, performed with the most of the great musicians of the Austrian Jaz scene (Fritz Pauer, Wolfgang Pushnig, Bumi Fian, Oliver Kent, Hank Gradischnig, Karl Sayer, Christian Havel, Erwin Schmidt, Hans Strasser to name a few) and she wrote songs and music for seven movies of Austrian director Xaver Schwarzenberger.
In 1999 she was again in New York recording her first solo album « Anna Lauvergnac » (wich featured some of America and Europe top jazz musicians, such as Andy Bey, Fritz Pauer, Pete Bernstein , Claus Raible, John Di Martino, Boris Kozlov, Wolfgang Puschnig, Alegre Correa, Johanne Enders) for the Swiss label TCB, and back to Europe mathias ruegg offered her to become the new singer of the Vienna Art Orchestra . In the following decade she appeared on hundreds of concerts with the band, performing in all the major Jazz Festival and theaters in Europe as well as touring China, Cuba and Canada. (UmbriaJazz,Paris Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, Time in Jazz, Natt Jazz, Beijing Jazz Festival, Nord Sea Jazz Festival, Wiener Festwochen, Festival Jazz de l’Havana, Toronto Festival, Vancouver Jazzdays, Red Sea Jazz Festival…) and recorded 12 CDs, mostly for Universal Music. On the side she kept touring with different bands in Italy, France, Austria and Germany, collaborating with great artists such as Bojan Z, Alegre Corea, Paolo Fresu, Fritz Pauer to name a few, and released the cds « You must believe in Spring » with the Till Martin quartet and « Come Closer » with the Julia Huelsmann trio, and partecipated as a guest artist in different recordings.
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