Hey All,

Hello All,

Well, I'm happy to announce I've signed with E1 Records and we're putting Avalon out in January 2010. For those of you who know me, it's been a long time in the making and realization. However, those are the sweetest moments, when things come together and patience pays off.
I really look forward to getting this music out there.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer.

Warmly, Lauren

Dear Listeners,

I am very happy and proud to say the Moss CD is out! I do believe you can find it at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and also on Amazon.

For those of you who don't know what Moss is, I'll tell you. It came from a discussion Luciana Souza and Peter Eldridge had on a Train. Lu wanted to ask a select group of solo artists to come together and share music and ideas. So Peter and Lu settled on asking me, Theo Bleckmann and Kate McGarry. It began with a few charts to try and then we all started writing songs and arranging for the group. There was no agenda for the sound and direction of the group, only that we wanted to experiment and work in areas individually we were not versed. Gradually we collected enough music to do a show, the first being Joe's Pub in 2005.

After doing a show in LA in the summer of 2006, we received a great review from Don Heckman of the LA Times and an offer from Sunnyside Records to capture the group and repertoire. We were all thrilled as we felt this was a special combination of people and the concept on the choral writing had a unique sound and approach.

In the summer of 2007, we found four days all of us could convene to record. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. Ben Wittman produced the CD for us as well as played drums in the band! The rest of the band is rounded out with the gorgeous sounds of Ben Monder and Keith Ganz on guitars, Tim LeFebvre on Bass' and Peter Eldridge on Piano.

For more information about Moss, please visit www.mossproduced.org. And by all means, pick up the CD!!!!

Lauren

Dear Reader,

I am here to tell you a Big Night was by all Feb 6 with my stellar band and special guests at Joe's Pub. There wasn't a happier girl in the room, yes, I'm talking about me!

The music came together due to a dedicated and focused rehearsal the day before from the guys. We learned and brushed up on 13 songs; no small task. I could not have asked for more. Each and every player on the stage brought their best game and helped me create a joyful night of music.

Peter and Ben are my longtime band mates, sharing in so much of the creative work on this project. I have been writing and working with Peter for over 15 years. I was thrilled to present three of our collaborations and one of his sole compositions, Difficult. Difficult is one of my favorite songs ever written and I hope to sing it many more times. His version is also beautiful and can be found on his 3rd CD, Decorum. Ben has been coaxing me and this music along for the last five years. He is a tremendous drummer, arranger, producer and more importantly, friend. I think we all needed this night to set the music free from it's recorded state and hear it again fresh and wild.

Donny McCaslin and I go back to our Berklee College of Music days. We have watched one another grow all these years and it was a thrill to be working again with, I think, one of the most exciting and innovative Tenor players of our time. Donny takes the lid off the pressure cooker and serves up Babet's Feast.

I was particularly happy to share the live setting with Stephan Crump on Bass. He joined me on the last session of the CD and we got to know one another in the studio environment. He latched on to all the music with aplomb, bringing music and focus to the groove that was really thrilling.

Kate McGarry joined me on stage helping me present a very new song, "As If," and the title track of the CD, "Here is My Avalon." She sings like an angel and raised the songs in spirit.

And finally, my girl, Jonatha. Jonatha Brooke to the wise. I have been listening to Jonatha's music for the last 15 odd years and no one takes me on the rides like she does. Her melodies and lyrics are so compelling, you have to sit on a rock to contemplate the meaning and take in all the nuance. I am blessed to have her on the CD helping me create the sound for "Here After." And likewise, when she took the stage that night, time stood still for me. I don't know what it was like for anyone else, but that is a moment I will hold close. The song is very dear to me lyrically. I wrote it with Peter and I think he too would feel having Jonatha on it completes the triangle.

On top of the music being so satisfying, much of my family was in town. My mom, my sister Christen, my other sister Kate, husband Joe and their newborn baby Sophia (2 weeks old at the time), my Aunt and Uncle from Gloucester, MA, and of course, my husband Rob and daughter Ella. It was special because they have been supporting me through all my musical navigations and this one felt especially meaningful. A Big Night encompassing so many years of living and writing from the new vantage point of parenthood. A Big Night because everything I write so closely involves the people immediately around me. A Big Night because Ella knows there is a song written for and about her and is the best song of the batch, according to her. A Big Night because it made one person start to dream again about doing another night and another night, and another night somewhere, somehow, and someway.

I hope you enjoy the photos, shot by my new friend, Sandrine Lee. You will soon see her work on my CD, too. Thank you Sandrine, you are aces!

Until the next time, Lauren

Dear People,

I am very pleased to let you know I have a show at Joe's Pub, February 6 in New York City. I have finished production on my new CD, Here is My Avalon, and am rejoining the live music scene with aplomb! Joining me on stage are Peter Eldridge on Piano, Stephan Crump on Bass, Ben Wittman on Drums and Donny McCaslin on Saxes. Here is the pertinent info: Joe's Pub, 9:30 set, $15, 425 Lafayette Street, reservations recommended, 212-539-8777.

I will be showcasing the music from the CD. Some of it has never been performed live, so it's time to break through the divide. The music bridges my many influences coming from jazz, Brazilian jazz, and pop, and melds with the singer/songwriter voice. The music was built in a lovely traditional trio setting and then we just couldn't stop ourselves with overdubs. It is very tasty in its orchestral choices, all made while under the production spell of Ben Wittman. Ben helped me capture this music and my vision of it with great skill and kindness. He engineered a lot of it, wrote some great horn arrangements, overdubbed percussion and keys, and finally mixed it. No small task. We called on some of my favorite friends and colleagues. Jonatha Brooke joined me on a song, Here After, while Rob Mounsey wrote the most gorgeous string arrangement, further raising the bar. Romero Lubambo (guitar) made the Latin infused tunes swing even harder. Donny McCaslin (tenor sax) made songs out of his solos (well, it will take a while to transcribe 'em) and joined the horn section, too. Joel Frahm made me crazy with his ease of voice on alto sax, effortlessly playing just the right stuff so damn good. There are so many moments on the CD that I am proud of and can't wait to share very soon.

Thanks for stopping by,
Lauren