Madeline Forster - Just You, Just Me (2009)

From Frank DeBlase - Music Critic, Rochester City Newspaper 'Life seems to sashay with a little more splendor when a young lady like Madeline Forster opens up and sings. Her tone is beautifully fresh and sweet - we're talking right out of the hive, here - and her phrasing is as casual as an afterthought. But Forster can make your sloe gin fizz, she will knock you out. You're holding the proof right here. Go ahead, pop it in, take a sip. The way Forster rides atop the subtle seduction of her band's salacious swing or when she cozies up to the piano, makes these old tried "n" trues sound like lullabies for the waking hours. Familiar and classic, yes, but these songs didn't write themselves after all, some one's got to take the wheel. Forster makes room under her skin for these jazzy gems so she can in turn get under yours. And she does it with elegant reserve and sophisticated savvy. It's enchanting and intoxicating. I'm reeling already. Join me, won't you?' Since her club debut in December of 2007, Madeline Forster's music has quickly caught the attention of a broad audience. Her warm, effortless and approachable sound is drawing listeners young and old to the "Songbook" era of great, classic jazz. Her greatest influences have been the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Holiday, and Nat King Cole. While her enchanting sound is uniquely her own, these important influences are readily apparent in her style. Hailing from Rochester, NY Madeline grew up in proximity to one of the world's finest music and jazz schools, the Eastman School of Music. Having attended university as a psychology major in Toronto, she gained additional exposure to music in a city with deep jazz roots and extraordinary talent. Having now performed over 130 shows in the best known jazz clubs of both cities, with some of their finest musicians backing her, she has now released her debut CD, 'Just You, Just Me'. The album was recorded at Red Rock Recording in Saylorsburg, PA, which has recorded such greats as Keith Jarrett, Kenny Barron, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Chris Potter, and is "home" to sax greats Dave Liebman and Phil Woods. Musicians were used from Rochester and NYC, playing commissioned arrangements from Rochester's Dave Rivello, John Nyerges, and Chris Ziemba, the latter of which was featured in March of 2009 on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on NPR. Madeline maintains a busy club schedule and has scheduled performances at various festivals and private functions throughout 2009. "In the current vernacular, I was blown away. Madeline...is a natural. Her singing was so rich and tasty you could only conclude she is musically aware way beyond her years. [Her performance] was a treat." -Howard Weiss Former Concertmaster, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra '...a star on the rise, a diamond in the distance...keep your eyes on Madeline Forster.' -Frank DeBlase, Rochester City Newspaper.