FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact: Rick Scott 310.398.0260
Guitarist Joyce Cooling gets
personal on Revolving
Door
in support of mental
illness
Album released today, first single
growing at radio
Narada Jazz/Blue Note Label
Group released
the seventh album from guitarist Joyce
Cooling today. Vowing to make
music that matters and connects emotionally, Revolving Door is her most
personal collection to date. The
album title is a reference to the issue of mental illness, which seemingly has
no way out of the conundrum for those impacted by the disease. The issue hits Cooling particularly
close to home because she grew up with a brother who suffers from schizophrenia,
which had a major impact upon her family and continues to do so to this
day. Committed to fostering
understanding, creating awareness and lending assistance to those affected, a
portion of the proceeds from record sales will be donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness
(NAMI) to help support people living with mental illness.
While the subject of the title
track is serious, the album is not a depressing collection of songs about mental
illness. It’s an eclectic sampling
of electric and acoustic jazz, R&B, blues and Latin rhythms. Exploring a vast array of moods, some of
the tracks are hopeful and optimistic, some are bluesy cool, and
others are pensive and heartfelt.
Each song has a different feel.
Cooling stretched her artistic muse on the album utilizing new percussion
sounds and ten different guitars for the ten songs specifically to give each one
a unique voice. The guitarist sings
on several numbers in jazzy, sophisticated tones. The compositions were penned by Cooling
along with longtime collaborator Jay
Wagner, who produced the disc.
What was also different for the duo was that Revolving Door is the first album on
which they set out to let the stories they wanted to tell inspire the creation
of the music instead of allowing the music to spawn the stories. The album’s first single, “Mildred’s
Attraction,” an energetic, funk-inspired track, is now being added to the
playlists of smooth jazz radio stations.
“For almost my entire life, my
family has been on the front line of the mental health crisis. Ever since my brother was diagnosed, his
condition – and its relentless, dominating presence – has been the single most
pressing element in my family’s universe,” revealed Cooling. “Most people seem to be embarrassed
discussing or try to hide mental illness, but after much soul-searching, I
decided to ‘come out’ about this reality to do what I can to bring attention and
positive action to the issues of mental health. The ‘revolving door’ syndrome makes
coping with mental disease a seemingly relentless process for both the afflicted
and the family support group around them.
The pros tell us that by fostering understanding and positive action, we
can make a difference for those who suffer and for those around them who
likewise struggle in the wake of the disease. That is why I have chosen to work
directly with NAMI.”
Last June, Cooling and Wagner
sponsored NAMI’s benefit walk in
The early reaction to Revolving Door has been positive. All
Music Guide wrote, “…Cooling finds a way to balance the darker edges
with the joyful breeziness that has long endeared her to fans…These songs show
tremendous artistic growth for both her and her longtime keyboardist partner Jay
Wagner…” Jazz
Review said, “Her latest CD entitled Revolving Door follows the
same path that she has been most noted for, which is a highly stylized soulful
influx of melodies and rhythms… what is most apparent about Revolving Door
is the overall expanse Joyce provides. There are a myriad of tracks featuring
original upscale rhythms and highly efficient groove-oriented instrumental
lyrics…They (Cooling & Wagner) bring a focus to a topic that commands
attention and discussion. What is
even more significant is the fact that Joyce has found a way to speak her mind
musically and without words. This
long-awaited release continues a process of illumination by placing Joyce
Cooling in the limelight once again as one of smooth jazz’s most significant
guitarists.”
For nearly a decade, Cooling
has consistently delivered #1 hits and Top 10 singles to smooth jazz
radio. The striking beauty was
voted “Best New Talent” in a Jazziz Reader’s Poll, won the Gibson Guitars Award as “Best Jazz
Guitarist of the Year” and was nominated as “Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year” by
the Gavin Report.
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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact: Rick Scott 310.398.0260
Cool-jazz guitarist Joyce Cooling
set to release
the personal and eclectic Revolving Door on September
12th
Album title inspired by her brother’s
battle with mental illness;
“Mildred’s Attraction” will be the
first track serviced to radio
Sometimes we’re inspired by those
closest to us. For her seventh
album, chart-topping cool-jazz guitarist Joyce Cooling turned to her brother for
inspiration on her forthcoming Narada
Jazz/Blue Note Label Group release, Revolving Door, which will arrive in
record stores nationally on September 12th. Cooling’s brother has been battling
schizophrenia ever since they grew up together. She wrote the songs that comprise the
album with her long-time collaborator
Jay Wagner, who produced the collection. A portion of the proceeds from album
sales will go directly to the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to help support people living with mental
illness. The first track being
serviced to smooth jazz radio is the uplifting and funky “Mildred’s Attraction,”
which will go for adds on August 14th.
Revolving Door is the most personal recording
from Cooling to date. It’s an
eclectic body of electric and acoustic jazz, R&B, blues and Latin rhythms
that allowed the Bay Area resident to stretch creatively. She used ten different guitars on the
ten compositions, each with a different sound that was used to fit a specific
emotion for each particular song.
Cooling croons on several cuts, her voice chill, elegant and jazzy. The melodies and moods are diverse and
although the title cut inspired the record, the subject matter, while at times
pensive, never becomes depressing or overwrought with despair. Instead Cooling offers compassion and
understanding.
“I wanted to make the music real
and about something that matters,” explained Cooling. “Revolving Door is different from the
rest of our CDs in that we wanted to tell the story first, and then let the
music follow. ‘Revolving door’ is a
metaphor for a situation we humans often find ourselves in where there is
seemingly no beginning and no end to a problem. It can be a frustrating treadmill with
the same path ruthlessly cycling under your feet.”
A photogenic natural beauty with
a humble, down-to-earth attitude, Cooling is looking forward to playing the
revealing songs on Revolving Door in
concert, where she hopes to connect with fans in a more meaningful way. She’s already got a few concert dates
lined up for the fall with a full itinerary to be announced
later.
The
Joyce Cooling’s Revolving Door contains the following
songs:
“Mildred’s Attraction”
“Come And Get It”
“Cool Of The Night”
“Little Sister”
“Revolving Door”
“In Case Of Rain”
“At The Modern”
“Jesse’s Bench”
“I’ll Always Love You” (Ode to
the Audience) “One
Again”
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