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PRESS
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"...a
beautiful and soulfully sung collection of real jazz standards delivered
as pure jazz....with the added bonus of her excellent saxophone playing"
ALL ABOUT JAZZ -- NEW YORK, United States
Canadian-born, NYC-based singer and saxophonist Cooper has developed her own self-assured sound as both a vocalist and altoist - her refreshingly simple, unfussy delivery befits her Konitz-esque sax tone while her unpretentious singing draws on her narrative abilities over excessive reliance on technique.
(TIMEOUT LONDON, United Kingdom)
" For her third album (her first on Candid), Canadian-born
vocalist, sax player, composer and arranger Sheila Cooper has teamed
up with the great Viennese pianist Fritz Pauer - and what an inspired
and creative pairing it turns out to be. A 10-track collection of ballads,Tales
of Love and Longingis a recording of incredible warmth and intimacy.
Cooper and Pauer seem to be extraordinarily attentive to each other's
musical perspectives, whether in the chilly desolation they bring to
"Winter Moon", the enormous depth of feeling that underpins "I'm a Fool
to Want You", their achingly beautiful reading of "I Didn't Know About
Love" or the instrumentaltour de force"How Deep is the Ocean". The excellent
recorded sound perfectly complements the duo's carefully nuanced approach.
Having honed her skills playing with giants such as Clark Terry and
Kenny Wheeler, Cooper's vocal and instrumental talents have earned her
praise from Lee Konitz and Bob Dorough among others. Clearly well deserved,
on this evidence."
JAZZWISE MAGAZINE, United Kingdom
...Cooper shone with a boppish solo version of "Stella
by Starlight".
ALAN NAHIGAN, DOWNBEAT (live review)
Sheila Cooper has a fresh- sounding voice and a clear, intelligent, expressive way with lyrics. ... Her fresh ideas on alto bring new life to old tunes . . .
she moves with grace from vocal choruses to alto saxophone solos. Never sounding the least bit gimmicky, she creates a smooth, one-person dialogue between voice
and saxophone.
OWEN McNALLY, HARTFORD COURANT
"Cooper charms with multi-faceted saxophone-playing,
and like every great singer she not only knows how to fascinate with
notes, but to create a deep connection between heartfelt tranquility
and ominous silence."
(DIE PRESSE, Austria)
Sheila Cooper is a mainstay on my program. Anyone with ears will hear she plays alto like she sings . . . great.
RON PITTNER,"Out to Lunch Avec Jazz", Radio RDL, France
Based on "Since You Were Mine", Cooper can play with anyone, without excuses. . . . Her alto playing is crisped and assured; she isn't afraid to enter dark musical places when the mood calls for it.
STEVE STARGER, HARTFORD ADVOCATE
The New Yorker carves a place for herself out of the ghosts of tradition, revitalizing old songs into a powerpack of poetry, easily accomplished through her subtle charms. And with such tasteful warmth, such earthy originality that one must really take one’s hat off to her. Her voice is crystal-clear, and at times breathy, as if she had left her voice in the embrace of a smoky room. She sings her ballads with understatement and with barely any vibrato, as if cookng on a low flame, and in this way she brings her dishes to doneness. Her saxophone playing is virtually a continuation of vocal acrobatics through instrumental means. She phrases as if with her voice and releases a light, drifting tone, that sounds as pure as a diamond. In doing so, she uses natural breath power so that one can nearly experience the flow. Dry, vibrato-free, mellow, nearly breathy. AND she has something to say.
DIE RHEINPLATZ, Germany
In addition to playing outstanding solos and interesting arrangements, Sheila Cooper has genuine charm onstage . . . performing a flawless show that came directly
from her heart.
FRANKISCHER TAG, Bamberg, Germany (live review - translated from German)
It has perhaps become cliché to say of a young lion(ness), but this cat can swing. And she does it with a beguiling lilt, both in her vocal and her
alto renderings, that makes her treatment of familiar songs impact on the listener like sinking a thirty-foot putt -- you feel triumphant, but at the same time you're
surprised and humbled by the rarity and chance of it -- and you remember the experience.
Sheila Cooper's "Since You Were Mine" is well worth your time.
STEVE KRAWITZ, "Jazz For The Common Man", WESS-FM & WVAI-FM, Pennsylvania
Sheila Cooper has a fresh, unique sound which combines a sense of cool with humor and passion. It's an intriguing and irresistable mix which she is able to convey
in both her vocals and her alto sax. It's serious musicianship with no pretensions, and a sly sense of fun. Sheila Cooper is a musician you want to see and hear again.
LAURIE GYPSON, WHCN-FM, Connecticut
Sheila Cooper's "Since You Were Mine" is a revelation. When was the last time you heard a singer who also played the saxophone, and did both with
consummate skill and grace? I particularly enjoy Cooper's approach to standards: She handles these easily bruised treasures with the utmost delicacy. This collection
is one that rewards repeated listening.
JIM MOTAVALLI, WPKN-FM, Connecticut
It's a great pleasure to hear Sheila Cooper¹s fresh voice and true jazz stylings. From the minute she starts singing she has the audience in the palm
of her hand . . . A jazz performance full of ease, professionalism and artistry.
LESLIE GOURSE, Jazz Critic, Author of MADAME JAZZ
"Since You Were Mine" is the best jazz vocal debut I've heard in three or four years. A tasteful mix of familiar and seldom heard songs matched with
a first class rhythm section. Ms Cooper is not just another pretty face on the cover, we're talking about a talented, highly acccomplished musician. I'll be
playing this disc over and over.
DOUG MOODY, "Moody's Mood" KMFB-FM, California
Her voice is warm and elegant; her playing swings with candid self-assurance. On "Since You Were Mine", Sheila Cooper does her ambitious repertoire
proud.
KATIE MALLOCH, CBC Radio Canada
Sheila is a singer on her horn and with her voice, and that's the best playing for me.
LEE KONITZ, Alto Saxophonist
