Regina Zona - Heart Songs: An American Medley (2021)

The emotional story of Heart Songs is that of a woman reflecting upon her life, her loves, and herself. Starting with the innocence of childhood, the realization as an adult that she wants more out of life, the joy of new love (and SEX!), and the loss of love, her journey culminates in the acceptance that what she really needs is to love herself. And she does just that.

The musical story of Heart Songs is the weaving together of two musical genres that are very near and dear to my heart: Classical American Art Song and the Great American Songbook. My specialty as a classical singer was American Art Song which lead me to record my first CD, Connection: The Song Cycles of Jake Heggie for the Naxos American Classics Label. I love to champion works of living composers and the songs on this album by Ricky Ian Gordon, Jake Heggie, William Bolcom, Maury Yeston, and Ellen Mandel are the perfect examples of why I love this genre so much. They are masterpieces of poignant story-telling in a beautifully accessible musical language that can easily share a table with popular song and jazz.

Featuring Jonathan K. Parks (piano), James Lowe (piano), Sean Harkness (guitar), Justin Vance (clarinet/tenor sax), Jeanette Stenson (cello), Sean Murphy (bass), and Mike Lunoe (drum set/percussion)