DIANE LANDRYbiography

DIANE LANDRYbiography
With the recent release of her critically acclaimed independent debut CD It's A
Lovely Day and an ongoing slate of high spirited, swinging performances at
Tommy's Seafood Steakhouse ­ recently voted "Best Jazz Club in Houston" ­ Diane
Landry is, after too many years of putting her truest heart on the back burner, at
last taking charge of her musical destiny and reconnecting with her lifelong
dream.
A perfect reflection of the singer's sultry and passionate personality and her
equal love for intimacy and swinging, the emotionally compelling album lives up
to its bright and optimistic title with exciting new arrangements of a colorful
batch of the singer's favorite pop and jazz standards by her longtime
collaborator and producer, New Orleans pianist Matt Lemmler. Recorded at The
Music Shed in Lemmler's hometown, the sessions feature some of the Crescent
City's top jazz musicians, including well­known saxophonist John Ellis.
"Over the course of my life, music has always played a pivotal role," says Diane.
"It's been the buoy that has kept me afloat and a gentle reminder when I
needed to be awakened and healed. In good times, it has been the source of
love, joy and laughter. Most importantly, it has been a spiritual experience. The
making of this album brought it all home to me. Music, and these songs in
particular, are the part of me that belongs only to me, and at the same time, the
part I most want to share with others."
Diane, who began working regularly with Lemmler's ensemble at Tommy's 3 years
ago after she impressed him at a jam session by taking to the stage and singing
"Teach Me Tonight," began sharing her gift with jazz and pop fans in her
hometown of Houston decades ago when she was just 11. While performing with
the city's top musicians at premiere supper and night clubs ­ where she shared
the stages with famed comedians like Bob Newhart and George Carlin ­ the
singer was offered the opportunity to do her first studio recording. One of her
most exciting musical memories finds her at the kitchen table at age 12, listening
to an introduction to a song on the radio: "Here she is, Houston's own Diane
Landry..." ­without ever having signed a formal recording contract!
Diane had a few hard experiences in the studio with an aggressive producer,
but overcame her recording phobias and followed her rising star to Hollywood,
where she recorded for MGM Records, worked with legendary TV composer
Mike Post and performed as the warm up act for numerous sitcoms. An agent
from Desilu Studios took an interest in her and she began making the rounds of
the motion picture studios. After gaining attention for her singing and working on
some projects in Los Angeles, her career came to an abrupt halt when the family
discovered her father was dying of cancer. She was 16 when she returned to
Houston and put her musical and show business aspirations on hold.
"My daddy was the one who put me on my first stage," she says, "and with him
gone, my heart wasn't in it anymore. I had to re­evaluate my life at 16. Being in
Hollywood at such a young age was a real eye­opener. It was hard and fast and
it scared me a little. I was broken­hearted over losing my daddy, and I just
wanted to go back to being a kid and having a normal life." She finished high
school, went to college and sang only sporadically throughout her twenties as
she focused on her new husband and raising their daughter.
Over the years, Diane thought perhaps she had shut the door on music
permanently, but fortunately for her growing legion of fans ­ and the jazz world
at large, which is just starting to catch wind of her vibrant voice and presence ­
fate had other plans. Three years ago, after her divorce and with her daughter
off to college, she found herself at a crossroads. She went back to school with
plans of completing her degree and earning a certificate to teach elementary
school; but during a night out listening to jazz, her friends talked her into getting
up on stage and singing with Lemmler. After her impromptu performance, which
led him to invite her to join his group, the two launched a friendship and creative
partnership that continues to this day. "I love the way Matt reharmonizes songs,"
she says. "He constantly challenges me." Soon she dropped out of school and
was working as a singer full time.
Considering her timeless but contemporary vocal style, her vast knowledge of
the Great American Songbook and her love for major influences like Dinah
Washington, Anita O'Day, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald, it
was only a matter of time before her success as a live performer translated to a
recording project. Lemmler encouraged her from the start, but she had to
overcome some of those harsh childhood memories of working in a studio before
she finally committed.
Since she did, and she started choosing and recording the incredible set list that
makes up It's A Lovely Day, there's been no stopping her. "Matt talked me into
returning to the studio to make this album," she says. "After stalling him for awhile,
he called one day and told me he had booked the studio and musicians. I'm
most comfortable onstage connecting with the audience. It's the exchange of
energy that turns me on. Studios don't do that for me. The studio was intimidating
in the beginning, but there was such great energy, everyone was upbeat, smiling
and so supportive. It was a joy to work with those guys. It turned out to be a
great experience. It took a while for me to become comfortable, but once we
got going," she adds, "I started to relax and it became more comfortable. Just as
I began to enjoy singing for an audience again, I finally warmed up to the studio
environment. Now I'm thinking about what I'm going to do for my next project!"
It's A Lovely Day begins with explosive, hard hitting swing arrangements of "Lover
Come Back To Me" and "What A Difference A Day Makes" before showcasing
her intimate side on tracks like "Blue Moon," the intensely seductive "Call Me" and
"Good Morning Heartache." She then swings up again with high spirited jaunts
through "The Shadow Of Your Smile" and "Just In Time."
The 12­track collection received beautiful and immediate praise from numerous
industry insiders and tastemakers. Jazz pianist, composer and lyricist Dave
Frishberg makes note of her "smoky and bluesy" vocals, adding, " 'Call Me' is one
of the steamiest proposals I've ever heard. Landry and Lemmler work well
together because they are each exponents of hot jazz, meaning they approach
their material with energy, a terrific beat and impassioned authority." Andrew
Lienhard of www.jazzhouston.com wrote: "It's A Lovely Day is a hard driving,
greasy session which shatters any expectations of another delicate chanteuse
lazily wandering through the American Songbook. By contrast, Landry's soulful
voice smacks of a tradition inspired by the rich culture of the Gulf Coast, but also
has a maturity in phrasing associated with the great voices of our day."
With her eye on the future, Diane is looking forward to hitting the road and
sharing her rediscovered musical joy with audiences at festivals and other
venues throughout the country and abroad, even as she continues to wow her
longtime fans in the South. "My journey has certainly been a long and winding
road, but I'm happy to be back where I started. Singing and performing come
natural to me and I'm happy when I'm up on that stage. It's where I'm meant to
be. I titled the album after the sweet Irving Berlin song 'Isn't This A Lovely Day' to
reflect this sense of optimism. It is a lovely day!"