Press Release                   For immediate release                 November 8, 2008

Debut CD from Ambience features classic jazz sounds and Leah Natale on vocals
 

SEATTLE, November 8, 2008.  Ambience, a Seattle based jazz group, announced plans to release their debut CD titled, The Second Set.  Ambience features Leah Natale on vocals, George Stone on guitar, Burt Boice on Bass and Chris Busa on winds.

Their debut CD contains jazz and samba classics from the 20s, 30s and beyond.  As the band for the renowned Palisade Restaurant in Seattle, Ambience routinely performs to a discerning audience that expects the very best in wine, food and jazz. This CD will not be a disappointment to that audience and to the fans that have waited patiently for an opportunity to bring a touch of “ambience” home for the holidays.

This is Leah’s second CD, but first as a member of Ambience.  Her first CD, My Someday, was true to the big band traditions when many of the song selections on that CD first gained popularity.  This latest CD covers the same genre, but with a modern quartet sound and Swing and Latin arrangements that appeal to younger and older listeners, and serious or moderate jazz enthusiasts alike.  The title of the CD, The Second Set, describes the musical rebirth that each band member individually experienced in their life and how this experience is analogous to the second set of a show when musicians find their distinctive groove and give their best performance.

The CD contains 9 tracks and one bonus track that features tasteful guitar, lively brisk be-bop horn lines, a robust bass, stimulating percussion rhythms, and the pure sultry voice of Leah Natale – the defining personality of Ambience.  The CD liner notes provide an accurate description of Leah’s contribution:

“Leah does it her way with tasteful restraint and clarity.  Her phrasing is unpretentious, yet emotional. Her sultry voice is all that is needed to leave an indelible impression on the listener. Chris Busa recalls the first time he heard Leah: “She was so different. Her voice was pure and her phrasings were true to the melodies.”  He goes on to say, “Leah does not need the  vocal gimmicks that so many of today’s singers rely on. Her music is fresh, honest and hip.”

The CD begins with a samba by Antonio Carlos Jobim titled, AGUA DE BEBER.  The distinctive feel of this song comes from the pandeiro, surdo and other traditional percussion instruments.  The CD ends with a toe tapping rendition of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorns’, Day Dream.