Deb Bowman - Fast Heart (2019)

FAST HEART is a tribute to Deb's late sister, Patti who lost her life to Ovarian Cancer. Bowman is releasing the album in concert on the 10th anniversary of her passing at Birdland on September 22nd. Patti loved butterflies, and from the teal butterfly on the cover (a symbol of ovarian cancer awareness) to references in some the several songs, the album is replete with butterfly allusions. Bowman will also be donating a portion of the revenue to the American Cancer Society Ovarian Cancer Research.

Bowman was thrilled that FAST HEART was the last project recorded at the storied Power Station recording studio in New York City. The studio, which opened in 1977 and where artists like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, David Bowie and the cast of “Hamilton” have recorded, will be renovated and rebranded.

Bowman and producer ARNOLD STRICKLAND brought on board pianist ERIC LEWIS, popularly known as ELEW. Lewis, who found crossover success creating the genre “rock jazz” playing rock and pop music, is known for his unconventional style, which eschews a piano bench and makes frequent use of plucked strings featured on the title song “Fast Heart”. Also joining Bowman are the Grammy winning, virtuoso drummer STEVEN WOLF aka “WOLF”, Hammond B3 player “Organ Monk” GREG LEWIS, who was named one of top 5 Rising Stars on organ on DownBeat's 66th Annual Critics' Poll, MATTHEW GARRISON, the son of the late Jimmy Garrison and a stellar bassist in his own right, award-winning trumpeter KENYATTA BEASLEY, who has recorded and performed with many internationally renowned artists, and violinist MARLA FEENEY, who performs with a number of orchestras and bands in the Atlanta area.

Bowman has a rich, warm voice that was shaped by her earliest music education performances as a Gospel singer. Many of the standards included on the album have clear references to butterflies, like Thelonious Monk’s “Pannonica,” with lyrics by Jon Hendricks that uses the refrain “Pannonica my butterfly,” and, of course, Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” with the touching lyrics “Soaring winds... rainbow waves / Touch my mind... be so kind / When you're gone... people cry Butterfly.” Bowman often sings in French and performs a wistful, piano duo duet version of Edit Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose.” She and ELEW add some funk to “Moody’s Mood for Love,” and, as a shout-out to her friends and fans in Georgia, she does a rousing version of “Georgia on My Mind,” featuring Lewis on the Hammond B3.

This CD is also the debut for Bowman’s original compositions. She opens the album with a soulful bluesy “Willow in the Wind,” a song about a yearning for love and seeking refuge for a restless soul. asks for comfort after experiencing a broken heart, “I feel like a willow in the wind / Won’t you come and take me by the hand / Where there is no pain Somewhere far away.” She also contributes a pop edged “Where Can We Go,” which she co-wrote with writing partner, Janet Powell; “Fast Heart,” the title tune about how her heart beats fast when she’s around the person she loves; and the closing number, “Shelter Me from The Storm,” in which Bowman gets down and returns to her Gospel roots featuring JW Inspirational Voices of Harlem and the Hammond B3 Organ.

Deb Bowman has a fluid and flexible voice. She is adept at a number of different musical styles, while her acting background clearly informs her approach to lyrics. FAST HEART is a beautiful and loving tribute to her late sister Patti.