WHO: Tia Brazda
WHAT: Swingin’ vintage/contemporary jazz
WHERE: Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas Street West, Toronto
WHEN: Thursday, July 23 – Doors 6:30 pm / Show 7:00 pm
TICKETS: $18 advance / $20 door (includes signed CD and/or digital option). Available online at lula.ca /
http://tia-brazda.ticketleap.com/tia-brazda-bandshell-album-release-party/ and at Soundscapes.
Dinner reservations are recommended and guarantee seating.
WEBSITES: www.tiabrazda.com / www.lula.ca
“A Technicolour swing that’s just the thing!” –The Globe and Mail
Swingin’ singer TIA BRAZDA’s sassy songs, pin-up girl style and slick jumpin’ jive will knock your bobby socks off. With one foot planted in the golden era of jazz and the other in contemporary production style, Brazda elegantly segues from saucy to sophisticated with ease on her debut album Bandshell. Presented by Flatcar Records, the release concert starts at 7:00 pm and doors open at 6:30 pm at Lula Lounge on July 23rd. For more information please visit www.tiabrazda.com.
Toronto-based Tia Brazda has already established herself as a sparkling presence on the jazz scene in Canada and beyond. She has toured the world, performing from Montreal to Paris to Amsterdam, and has already played such notable festivals as the Ottawa Jazz and Blues, Vancouver International Jazz, Toronto Beaches Jazz and Bestival (U.K.). Tia’s first EP Cabin Fever made an impressive impact in 2012, hitting No.1 on the iTunes Canada Jazz Chart, as well as receiving airplay on BBC and CBC Radio, Jazz FM 91.1 in Toronto, and college radio stations across Canada. Her 2014 holiday single “Christmas in Mexico” was added to the CHUM FM/Bell Media rotation and received solid airplay across the country.
Now, with Bandshell, Brazda comes out swingin’ with a more polished flair. The album shines with bouncy piano; full, rich, orchestral strings; dynamic horn arrangements reminiscent of 1960s Burt Bacharach, (most evident on the single track “Shine”); and smooth production that updates Brazda’s vintage vibe from flats to heels.
The 10-track examines affairs of the heart from a rollercoaster’s front car view. Amidst biting lyrics like “That man is like a loaded gun, he drinks too much, he fights for fun,” in the rockabilly-infused song “All Mixed Up,” or the message in “Waste of Time,” where our leading lady kicks a capricious lover to the curb, vixen-style, there’s still plenty of frolic and fun to be had.
From the catchy, call-and-response sections and muted, growling trumpet on the gritty “Hard Luck,” to the Charleston-infused title track, to the spaghetti western, Ennio Morricone-inspired guitar on “Mr. Mystery,” there’s a wide range of elements on display, neatly packaged and bowed with Brazda’s superb Billie Holiday-meets-Elle King-like vocals.
Bandshell is beautifully co-produced by two Juno-nominated producers – Marc Rogers, who plays bass on the album, and Chris Graham, who also mixed the tracks, and plays multiple instruments throughout. There’s a definite continuity of sound, but each song has its own lush life. It’s the little touches that surprise and delight. On “Just Like That,” for example, Tia produces some of the sweetest backing vocals, accompanied by dulcet strings, and a tasty bebop bass-and-drum breakdown that leads into an unexpected modulation. Track seven features Triplets of Belleville vocals and big, Gene Krupa-style drumbeats, for a high-energy swing tune with a whiplash ending.
The lone, slow ballad “All For You” will just about break your heart with Brazda’s honeyed vocals and Mike Freedman’s guitar standing on their own. But then you’ll want to start at the top and listen to the upbeat tunes all over again.
Musicians on the album are:
Vocals – Tia Brazda
Guitar – Mike Freedman and Chris Graham
Piano – Chris Graham and Joel Visentin
Sax – Chris Gale and Anthony Rinaldi
Trumpet – William Sperandei
Trombone – William Carn
Bass – Marc Rogers and Connor Walsh
Drums – Mark McLean and Roger Travassos
Violin – Sarah Wiebe
Fiddle – Miranda Mulholland
Backing Vocals – Chris Graham
The album release in Toronto will be supported by a few Canadian dates and a U.S. tour.
BANDSHELL ALBUM TOUR:
July 23 – Lula Lounge, Toronto, ON (release party)
July 25 – Oswego Musicfest, Oswego, NY
July 26 – Oswego Musicfest, Oswego, NY
July 27 – One Caroline Street, Saratoga Springs, NY
July 30 – Otto’s Shrunken Head, New York, NY
July 31 – Sully’s Pub, Hartford, CT
August 02 – Stonecat Cafe, Hector, NY
August 07 – Upstairs, Montreal, QC
August 21 – Blu Jazz, Akron, OH
August 22 – Copper Kettle Festival, Creemore, ON
August 29 – Uncorked on Main, Georgetown, ON
September 11 – 189 Public House, Buffalo, NY
September 12 – Bop Stop, Cleveland, OH
September 13 – Cliff Bell’s, Detroit, MI
