SONGSTRESS ROBIN MCKELLE TO RELEASE “MESS AROUND” ON E1 MUSIC

Tags

Female Vocalist, Jazz, ROBIN MCKELLE

ALBUM SHOWCASES A NUMBER OF GENRES INCLUDING SOUL, BLUES, AND JAZZ

Robin McKelle - Mess Around

“I’ve wanted to do this kind of album for a long time. It’s a project that spans a number of genres: soul, blues and jazz – all musical styles I love and which define my personality. It’s an organic, flesh-and-blood record, recorded with musicians close to me. It has quite a 60s flavor, inspired by the albums Ray Charles and Nina Simone were making at the time.”

Robin McKelle’s husky warm contralto more than measures up to these rhythm ‘n’ blues songs on her newest release, Mess Around (out on E1 Music on Tuesday, May 4th), which perfectly suits her natural expressiveness. As one jazz diva after another took to the airways, Robin (originally from Rochester, New York) needed to stand out from the competition in record shops. “On stage, people have an idea of who I am. I’ve always made room for this kind of repertoire in my concerts, but on record, it took me a while to express this character trait, this enthusiasm. I’m obviously not in the same category as Diana Krall or Norah Jones, so I might as well deal with it since that’s the way it is (laughter).”