Pianist/ vocalist Carol Welsman is going back to the roots on her next CD.
The Toronto born, Los Angels based pianist/ vocalist visits Lethbridge for the Lethbridge Jazz Festival to play a show at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre, June 12 with bassist Hussain Jiffry who usually plays with Herb Alpert. She will also be joined by drummer Ignacio Berroa, who has his own concert — the Afro Cuban and Beyond concert with Hilario Durán at the Yates Theatre, June 13.
“ Hussain Jiffry plays a six string bass, so it can sound like a guitar. And Ignacio Berroa plays very rhythmic, so it’s going to be fun,” she said.
“ This will be my first concert I get to play with him,” she said.
While she is known for reworking contemporary pop and country hits in a jazz form, she will go back to the roots of jazz for her next album.
“ I only hire the best,” she said adding she will be working with some of New York City’s best musicians for the next album.
“ I really wanted to explore traditional jazz with piano, bass and drums,” she said.
She released her last CD “Alone Together” back in 2012.
“I grew up listening to ’70s and ’80s pop music so I recorded songs by people like Sting, this time it will be more traditional, she said.
So she will be recording traditional jazz standards by songwriters like Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill ( My Ship) and Sandy Cohn (Day By Day) and Duke Ellington and Bob Russell ( I Didn’t Know About You) as well as more obscure old jazz numbers lie “ If the Moon Turns Green.”
“ I’m recording Killing Time, which is more of a Broadway number,” she added.
“ I really dig piano and vocal arrangements,” she said.
She noted her Lethbridge concert won’t include the new material, as she has never played Lethbridge before, so she plans to focus on her previous works including her Juno nominated“Journey” and her Peggy Lee tribute “ I Like Men.”
“ I’ll tour with the New York guys later,” she said.
The Carol Welsman trio play at 7:30 p.m., at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre, June 12. Tickets cost $25.
