Suzanna Smith - Halfway Between Heaven & Love (2013)

A debut album by a smart jazz singer with a lithe, lissome sound is always welcome, but when the artist is also a strikingly effective songwriter, a celebration is in order.

With the release of Halfway Between Heaven & Love, Oakland-based Suzanna Smith delivers one of the year’s most impressive vocal projects, an intoxicating mix of original tunes and beautifully rendered standards.

Accompanied by some of the most creative figures on the Bay Area scene, Smith combines the confessional imperative of a singer/songwriter with the rhythmic acuity of a jazz chanteuse. She wrote the lyrics for nine of the album’s 13 tracks while collaborating on the music of five songs with pianist/keyboardist Michael Coleman. Smith’s material more than holds its own alongside the American Songbook gems.

Tracklist:

01. Lady Bird / Half Nelson - Suzanna Smith
02. Paper Boat - Suzanna Smith
03. Summer Me, Winter Me - Suzanna Smith
04. The Man That Broke the Dragon's Heart - Suzanna Smith
05. Beautiful Love - Suzanna Smith
06. Planes and Trains - Suzanna Smith
07. Can You Give It Up - Suzanna Smith
08. Comet - Suzanna Smith
09. Monk's Make Believe - Suzanna Smith
10. I Would Give Anything - Suzanna Smith
11. Hooray for Love - Suzanna Smith
12. Alone Together - Suzanna Smith
13. Soy Califa - Suzanna Smith

Personnel:

Suzanna Smith: Vocals;
Michael Coleman: Piano & Organ;
Ken Husbands: Guitar & Bouzouki;
Michael O'Neill: Saxophone & Clarinet;
Brandon Essex: Acoustic Bass;
Hamir Atwal: Drums;
Jon Arkin: Drums;
Rob Ewing: Trombone;
Cory Wright: Saxophone, Clarinet & Flute;
Jordan Glenn: Percussion & Marimba;
Mark Allen-Piccolo: Electric Bass.