Paulien - Paulien (2008)
May is
the month of the nightingale, of songs we love, and of romance. It
was on May 4, 2007 that guitarist/composer (and lyricist) Royce Campbell
discovered all three in singer Paulien, whom he accompanied at a gig
in Charlottesville, Virginia. For more than ten years Campbell had
been sitting on a songbook of original, romantic songs; that evening
he discovered the voice that would bring it to life.
After
being introduced to Campbell’s tunes, Paulien, too, felt an
immediate affinity for them. The two spent the next two and half months
planning and rehearsing. Recording of the project, Essence of Romance,
(working title) began on July 23, 2007.
The result
is a concept album that could be summarized with Lord Tennyson’s
famous quotation: “T’is better to have loved and lost,
than never to have loved at all.” The eleven-tune program begins
with the yearning “Someone For Me,” followed by a wistful
“I Feel Like We Have Met Before.” The love story that
unfolds in these tunes culminates in what may well become a new Valentine’s
Day classic, “Be My Valentine.” The last three songs of
the album reflect what happens when even the most beautiful of romances
turns sad. The final, reflective “Many Loves Ago” expresses
Lord Tennyson’s thoughts beautifully and perfectly.
Paulien’s
distinctive voice has been well known in Europe since the mid nineties
from several recordings she had done mostly in French. One of her
albums included a contemporary re-make of the classic song “Dominique”,
which became a top ten hit all over Europe and Asia. It led the Japanese
charts for six weeks in a row in 1996. On this album, though, Paulien’s
vocal style surpasses anything she has done in the past. Free from
vocal affectations, straight ahead, and with a deep, clear and honest
tone it will stick with you for a long time. In the current jungle
of sophomoric YouTube-hyped singers, Paulien truly stands out, because
she not only sings these songs, she feels them deeply.
With this
album Campbell and Paulien, with the help of Grammy-winning engineer
Bob Dawson of Bias Studio in Springfield, Virginia, have produced
ultimate musical bliss: Romantic originals that easily fit into the
existing American Songbook but that also have an international flair
that audiences world-wide will easily connect with. The stylish and
tasteful contributions of Campbell on guitar, Toni Nalker on piano,
Tom Baldwin on bass, and Tony Martucci on drums—all of them
seasoned musicians from the Washington, D.C. area—give this
album an undeniable appeal.
With Paulien’s
album it can be May any time of the year.
For more
information: www.paulien.info
Booking information: Brik, LLC
P.O. Box
Ivy. VA
Tel. 434 465 0500
brik@brikUS.com
Get
Happy (2007) - Foxhaven Records (www.foxhavenrecords.com)
Trio featuring
the late Joe Kennedy (violin), Royce Campbell (guitar), and Paul Langosch
(bass).
When legendary
jazz violinist Joe Kennedy passed away in July 2005 it was the end
of an era for jazz violin. There are simply no living jazz violinist’s
left that get the authentic swing “feel” on violin. None.
“Get Happy” was the last recording Joe Kenndy played on
so this is a recording of great historical significance.
One might
wonder why the CD is called “Get Happy” when it’s
dedicated to someone who has died, however the project was originally
conceived as a concept CD of all songs with happy themes, so when
Joe Kennedy passed away Jon Miller of Foxhaven Records and producer
Royce Campbell decided to dedicate the CD to the joy that Joe Kennedy
brought to the life
of everyone that knew him.
The CD
features uplifting standards such as Ellington’s “I’m
Beginning to See The light”, Gershwin’s “S’Wonderful,
Jerome Kern’s ”Pick Yourself Up” ,and a clever arrangement
of Harold Arlen’s classic “I Want To Be Happy.’
The “Get
Happy” CD also marks a milestone for Royce Campbell being his
20th CD release as a leader or co-leader.
Recommended
tracks
#1, #3, and #5
Upcoming Gigs