Celia Berk’s ‘Now That I Have Everything’ is truly EVERYTHING

Celia Berk by Helane Blumfield

Celia Berk is an award-winning vocalist whose recordings have attracted listeners around the world. She has made memorable appearances at Carnegie Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Birdland Theater, The Town Hall and the National Arts Club. Celia has been praised by some of the most prominent champions of The Great American Songbook.

She just released of her widely anticipated third album, Now That I Have Everything. Arranger/pianist Tedd Firth brings a Nat King Cole Trio feel to the recording, which explores the ways we try – successfully and unsuccessfully – to connect our heart to someone else’s. Co-Produced by Tony and Grammy Award-winning sound designer Scott Lehrer, it features the kinds of hidden gems by great songwriters that are Celia’s trademark. Many of those songs were featured in COMES LOVE, a 2019 show Celia created with pianist Sean Gough.

In his Liner Notes, author and journalist Will Friedwald writes, “Celia Berk makes us realize, in a way few singers can, that love is, in fact, never ever the same.”

When asked about the album, Celia says, “The story of this album really begins and ends with my friend Debbi Bush Whiting, daughter of Margaret Whiting and granddaughter of Richard Whiting. She had given me recordings of her mother’s appearances on a radio show, including Irving Berlin’s NOW IT CAN BE TOLD. The premise of that song is that the real story of a great romance has yet to be written. As I listened, I asked myself, ‘So what exactly can now be told?’ And then I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to do an album about love!’ So I set out to find songs about the ways we try – successfully and unsuccessfully – to connect our heart to someone else’s.”

The songs cascade from a jazz silhouette of toe tapping to rain on a rooftop. This album is like sipping a nice cup of tea on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It encompasses the Broadway jazz element all the way down to songs reminiscent of Moon River. “Boum!” Is a fun loving dance number that incorporates feelings from your head to your heart and personifies the emotions. “Right as the Rain” brings a melancholy and somber feeling that captivates the whole body. The title track “Now That I Have Everything” dances on the piano keys and takes the center stage of the whole album in this show stopping number. 

Listen here:

Celia debuted her new cabaret show, ON MY WAY TO YOU: Improbable Stories That Inspired An Unlikely Path, directed by Mark Nadler with music direction by Tedd Firth. Marilyn Lester of Theater Pizzazz called it “An enchanting show, executed with abundant smarts, humor and grace, and terrific choices of music known and unknown.”

Celia’s accolades include the album MANHATTAN SERENADE in which she received the 2017 LaMott Friedman Award. It was arranged and conducted by Alex Rybeck and co-produced by Scott Lehrer, the team behind her debut album YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING. Lyricist David Zippel (whose “The Broadway Song” written with Cy Coleman received its first commercial recording) wrote in the album notes, “A tribute to her hometown, this collection is anything but renditions of the obvious New York songs. MANHATTAN SERENADE is curated: a connoisseur’s compilation of one exquisite, undiscovered musical gem after another.” YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING and Celia’s solo cabaret debut, directed by Jeff Harnar, earned Celia a 2015 Bistro Award: Vocalist; 2015 MAC Award: New York Debut – Female; 2015 BroadwayWorld Award for Best New York Cabaret Debut; and The 2015 Margaret Whiting Award.

We have no doubt that “Now That I Have Everything” will follow suit brining about awards and notoriety to the ever so talented soul that is Celia Berk.

Connect with Celia Berk via:
Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify

Video Voyager: AP Tobler’s “Claustrophobia”

AP Tobler has released their new single “Claustrophobia” and it’s accompanying video, an alt rock grunge song reminiscent of Green Day meets Weezer.

The song is about how uncomfortable they are in their own skin and is translated into their video. The whole thing is quick frames of a variety of different shots, consisting of AP in several different positions and outfits, the empty coach, and the empty coach with just their guitar. The many different ways they orient themselves is a perfect representation of trying to find comfort with yourself.

We spoke with AP about their video. Check out what they had to share about the “Claustrophobia” music video:

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

Claustrophobia is about feeling trapped and uncomfortable in your body. I wrote this song at a point of severe discomfort with myself. I was also just getting out of a spell of writer’s block and it took me quite a while to bring the song to completion. In the video, I wear all sorts of different clothes. The line, “You can’t become a new person every day,” inspired these outfit changes that show my futile attempts to renew myself.

What was the inspiration behind this video?

The video features myself singing the song while sitting on a desolate sofa. My outfit and position changes often in the video. These outfit changes represent that no matter what external things I change, I am still the same at the core, even if I don’t want to be.

What was the process of making this video?

The process of making the video was super easy and quick. The shoot consisted of myself singing along to the track in varying outfits and positions. The video was different from my others as we used a single camera angle for all the shots. We shot in my house which helped us prepare test shots and make sure we would get what we wanted. I did multiple sing throughs in each outfit and my dad did the editing. The tv frame and glitches represent changing the channel on an old television. While the concept is simple it is one of my favorites.

Watch here:

Connect with AP Tobler via:
Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / TikTok / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud

Raimie Delivers Epic Release “Sunroom 83” – A Standout for 2022

Every once in a blue moon an artist bursts onto the Hip Hop scene with enticing charm, authentic flows, and a real sense of pre-eminence. With the sensational release of “Sunroom 83” ’, the enigmatic Raimie has done just that, announcing himself as not only an aspiring individual, but also an accomplished wordsmith and an exhilarating emcee.

Remaining true to himself and foundations; not only as a musician but as a person, Raimie’s core is at the very heart and soul of his new EP release “Sunroom 83,” which you can dive into now. 

“Sunroom 83” capitalizes on the infectious formula of angular producer work, interesting beats, and figurative lyricism. Opening with the prominent song “Who Told You,” you already know that you’re in for a wild ride.  The song immediately sets the tone for what’s to follow; mellifluent harmonies entangling with the slick, intricate grooves, all while creating an ideal masterpiece.  I don’t feel Raimie could have kickstarted the EP in a better fashion.

Immediately setting the rapper aside from his peers, and along with the frequent vocal shifts and impressive beat switch-ups, the listener is kept on their toes throughout. “Sunroom 83” offers a great example of this diversification. Raimie showcases the best of this cadence, as the artist trades punches with the flagrant beat, finding inconceivable pockets to flow through, all while delivering complex, sonically pleasing rhyme schemes.  His sense of introspection on the release also brings another interesting element to the table; one that you cannot ignore.

Having moved to Los Angeles two months before the COVID-19 lockdown, Raimie’s newest songs celebrate the spirit of survival in a wicked season. For the collection’s title, he reflects back on his beginnings as a music creator, working on his art while attending Rutgers University, toiling away in hours long stretches of intense grind in the namesake “Sunroom 83” in the dead of winter. 

As well as flaunting his neat flows, diverse vocab, and crisp delivery, “Sunroom 83” reveals the workings of an artist with abounding creativity, as his musical knowledge provides an intoxicatingly unique experience. His versatility shows all the makings of a TRUE artist. Raimie shows the risks he’s willing to take in order to succeed in the ever-competitive rap game. A Must Hear.

Favorite Tracks: “Who Told You” “Skyscrappers” “For My People”

Stun Shares His “Highz & Lowz”

Stun is an award winning Canadian indigenous hip hop artist from Oxford House, Manitoba. Leaning toward his most prominent project yet, Lifestylez of The Fresh & Indigenous (Out September 2nd) is the third installment toward the hip hop artist’s catalog. 

Highz & Lowz” was created out of the blue. The song is a soft description of the experiences we go through as we get older. From love to pain, it’s definitely like a rollercoaster ride.

One day after Stun was done with his daily routine, he decided to finish up the instrumental, which took a few days leading up to that point. He was thinking about his current issues at the moment, from his financial situation, to the amount of stress he was feeling due to family conflict. 

While touching up the instrumental, he then started to come up with a simple melody, which then turned into words and more words. And the whole song just came spilling out into the recording process. He simply allowed his thoughts and feelings at the time to pour out onto the mic.

Watch the official music video here:

“I wanted to create something more different than what I had previously created,” says Stun. “I was a little skeptical on whether or not I should incorporate my native tongue into the lyrics, but then I thought, ‘Well, I have indigenous youth that listen to my music, and for them to feel like, ‘Hey, this guy is just like me,’ – it would definitely turn tables for that deep connection, to be inspired. I ended up making the decision of actually keeping it a lot more simple and less complicated.”

The album was actually considered finished before “Highz & Lows” was added onto the list. It was ready to be shared with the world. But when the song flowed out so organically, Stun knew he had to add it onto the album.

With the new album, Lifestylez of The Fresh & Indigenous, Stun is hoping that people can get a more in-depth sense of his culture and an indefinite experience of what happens in his life. He wants them to feel love, passion and pride – in other words, a great understanding of the lifestyles of the fresh & indigenous. 

Maddisun Shares”Running” from the ‘Home is Where the Music Is’ LP

Maddisun (aka singer/songwriter Maddison Keiver) is an authentic, visceral, and magnetic artist whose unique music melds together indie-folk, soulful R&B, and electro-pop. Maddisun crafts incredibly inspiring and uplifting music true to her heart, sharing emotional journeys of love, heartache, growth, and resilience. 

Maddisun’s genuineness, raw vocal talent and pure musicality sparkle on her new LP, Home Is Where The Music Is, co-produced by Nick Noto and Chloe Chaidez of PSY SOUND. 

Classic country and soul influences shine in the feature track “Running, about transitioning into the next phase of her career. Maddisun is taking a chance on herself to pursue her passion; not holding back despite any obstacles, while staying true to her rural British Columbia roots.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/maddisun/home-is-where-the-music-is

Home is a feeling, not a place. About the album inspiration, she explains, “When I’m travelling all over and the concept of ‘home’ is a little messy, I find myself leaning towards my music and yearning to connect with that part of myself. Once I find it, I’m home no matter where in the world I am.”

Lucy Morgan Shines on with “Firelight”

Singer/songwriter Lucy Morgan grew up with music in her life from the very beginning. With a musician for a dad, performing has always been in her blood. Her life was flipped upside down however, when her sister died from cystic fibrosis. After completing a BFA in theatre and drama studies, Lucy tried her hand at songwriting and found it to be the greatest form of therapy. Turning her deepest emotions into lyrics and a melody was a beautiful metamorphosis, as if a weight was being lifted off of her heart.

Her new song, “Firelight” was written with friend and fellow artist Freida Mari. The two of them met up in the park for a few hours and caught up as friends, relating about their similar situations in the love department. 

Despite both of them being greatly hurt in romantic relationships in the past, “Firelight” was their way of expressing the feeling you get when you’ve started talking with someone new. You’re excited for what it could be but the wounds from your last try haven’t fully healed. You want love but the road there has been full of potholes and dead ends thus far. This song is about seeing the potential in someone and although there is the fear of it burning out, and going for it anyway.

“For me, love and relationships have consisted of a power struggle a lot of the time,” says Lucy. “It has felt in the past like there is some sort of game to be played, especially at the start of something new. This generation of dating is so incredibly flawed and there is a consensus that people like ‘the chase.’ Which is just so silly. But I have been guilty of giving into that and when I wrote this song I was wrapped up in it big time.”

All the songs on Lucy’s Firelight EP were inspired by her journey after a really terrible and impossible breakup. It was a long road for her to get back to herself after that experience. Music was what she turned to in those moments of hopelessness as well as the moments of peace.

The six-track EP and features singles including “Firelight” and “Where It All Began.” Listen to it here: