With the announcement of her highly-anticipated collection of new songs, 3x GRAMMY® nominated vocalist Sara Gazarek also sends a sort of postcard from the journey she has traveled over the past few years. On her new EP, Vanity, we witness a rebirth and a revelation since the release of her previously critically-acclaimed and widely celebrated Thirsty Ghost; a journey of growth, exploration and lessons. Vanity gives us a Sara Gazarek with fear taken off the table; replaced by truth, compassion, and an acknowledgement of the artist she has become over the last three years. An artist that values expression over beauty, communication and freedom over safety and consistency. “Through the pandemic, I pushed myself to explore deeper parts of myself, a deeper relationship with my instrument (through rigorous weekly voice lessons), fundamentally and forever changing my perspective and approach as a jazz musician and vocalist,” said Gazarek.
On Vanity, we hear Gazarek exploring more depth of sound in not only her instrument, but in the repertoire she continues to traverse. Sara’s first original composition, “We Have Not Long To Love” (words by Tennessee Williams) “is meant to amplify the importance of taking every moment for the miracle that is,” said Gazarek. “I pushed myself to compose, thinking about colors and shapes, emotional textures and storytelling, much in the way that I do when I write a lyric. I wanted to capture the yin and yang of every day love and life, and the movement, modulations, and meditative repetition that can become more of an undercurrent than a miracle if we let it. And, while what resulted is by no means perfect, it is the truth – for me.” The fairly obscure title track, “Vanity” (arranged by Alan Ferber, and originally covered by the great Sarah Vaughan), is a statement of what people likely view Gazarek’s persona to be, based on her past, vs the person and artist she has now become. Gazarek explains, “I’ve wanted to put a song to the shift that I’ve experienced over the last ten years, the space I’ve finally stepped into, and the need to document that in a way that showcases the unexpected and the unconventional.” Fiona Apple’s “Extraordinary Machine” arranged by Geoff Keezer, with horn orchestrations by Alan Ferber, is utilized by Gazarek as a statement on women’s rights and how, “in the jazz community, fighting for equality has been an important journey for me and for my students,” states Gazarek. “Something Good” (from The Sound of Music), arranged by Stu Mindeman, is a deeply personal love letter to Gazarek’s mother. The artist explains, “I’ve wanted to sing a love song to my mother since her almost catastrophic car accident a few years ago (and I penned an extra verse just for her).”
We also hear Gazarek surrounded by a wider spectrum of instrumentation in the music of Thirsty Ghost. With horns arranged by master composer Alan Ferber, Gazarek is joined by 5 horns and expanded rhythm section — with pianist Miro Sprague, bassist Alex Boneham, drummer Christian Euman, guitarist Brad Alen Williams, trumpeter Michael Stever, the aforementioned trombonist/arranger/orchestrator Alan Ferber, alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson, tenor saxophonist Daniel Rotem, and baritone saxophonist Adam Schroeder. “They all have such command over their craft, and having Alan orchestrate for a larger ensemble brought things to another level. The experiences I wanted to capture are on a wider spectrum than Thirsty Ghost, so it only made sense to encapsulate that with a broader instrumentation. The band is comprised of deeply beloved, long-time friends and master musicians; but at the end of the day, I am grateful to have had their contributions in movement and air, and gifting me the space and opportunity to fly free, in return,” said Gazarek.
The vinyl only printed version of the highly acclaimed Vanity EP will be released in the Summer of 2023 (and digitally on December 2, 2022), and will feature two contrasting sides. Side A is set to include the acoustic 4-song EP recorded by Gazarek, her star rhythm section, and 5 part horn section; Side B is set to include remixes for each song, crafted by neo-soul creative tour-de-force, Amber Navran, of the 2023 GRAMMY® Nominated band, Moonchild. This special collection will only be available digitally, and in limited edition and small batch vinyl pressings. Navran said of collaborating with Sara Gazarek on this project, “I LOVE doing remixes. It’s so fun to reimagine what someone else has created. There’s so much beauty and inspiration in a finished song, so to get the opportunity to play around in that space is always a treat. I was obsessed with the horn parts on these songs, they played a major role in the remixes. As a horn player, I’ve always loved beats that sample horn lines. Having such beautiful lines to work with made it so much fun! I feel so lucky to have found such a supportive and loving community of badass women!”
Vanity TRACK LISTING:
- Vanity (Guy Wood)
- Something Good (Rodgers/Hammerstein)
- We Have Not Long To Love (Gazarek/Williams)
- Extraordinary Machine (Fiona Apple)
Vanity (Amber Navran Remix) REMIX TRACK LISTING:
- Vanity (Amber Navran Remix)
- We Have Not Long To Love (Amber Navran Remix)
- Something Good (Amber Navran Remix)
- Extraordinary Machine (Amber Navran Remix)
LP TRACK LISTING:
- Vanity (Guy Wood)
- Something Good (Rodgers/Hammerstein)
- We Have Not Long To Love (Gazarek/Williams)
- Extraordinary Machine (Fiona Apple)
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- Vanity (Amber Navran Remix)
- Something Good (Amber Navran Remix)
- We Have Not Long To Love (Amber Navran Remix)
- Extraordinary Machine (Amber Navran Remix)
“Vanity” Produced by Sara Gazarek
Arrangers: Alan Ferber (Vanity, We Have Not Long To Love, + all horn orchestrations), Stu Mindeman (Something Good), Geoffrey Keezer (Extraordinary Machine)
Musicians: Miro Sprague (piano); Alex Boneham (bass); Christian Euman (drums); Brad Allen Williams (guitar); Michael Stever (trumpet); Alan Ferber (trombone); Lenard Simpson (alto saxophone); Daniel Rotem (tenor saxophone); Adam Schroeder (baritone saxophone)
Recording Studio: United Recording, Los Angeles, CA
Recording + Mix Engineer: Steve Genewick
Mastering Engineer: Jett Galindo
Artwork: Jamie Breiwick/B Side Graphics (design); Lauren Desberg (photography); Schuron Womack (make up)
“Vanity (Amber Navran Remixes)” Produced by Amber Navran
Musicians: Sam Wilkes (bass: Vanity, Something Good); Jacob Mann (keyboards: all songs; bass: Extraordinary Machine); Amber Navran (misc instruments + vocals); Sara Gazarek (vocals: all songs)
Mix Engineer: Amber Navran
Mastering Engineer: Sam Brawner/Blue Dream Studios
Artwork: Jamie Breiwick/B Side Graphics (design)
