Kristin Berardi, The Light and the Dark.

Australian label Earshift Music recently announced the coming release of vocalist Kristin Berardi’s new album titled “The Light and the Dark”. The album is scheduled for release on the 14th of October and will be available on CD and all streaming platforms. Two tracks, “Too Late” and “A Lie” , from the album have been released as pre-release singles and the latter you can hear on our “Jazz Vocals” Spotify playlist.

Kristin Berardi is known as one of Australia’s most gifted jazz singers. Her music uses the voice to advocate for the lesser known stories, telling a myriad of personal reflections on life, relationships, love and the everyday trappings of one’s existence. Having received every notable Australian jazz prize, as well as the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival’s International Vocal Competition, Kristin’s original compositions and peerless interpretations showcase her exquisite timbre and effortless improvisations. Originally from Mackay, in far northern-eastern Australia, she now resides in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The Light and the Dark, brings to light the beauty and injustices that occur in life. Expect honesty, raw emotion, and dynamic performances from modern jazz luminaries including trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, pianist Miro Sprague, double bassist Marty Jaffe, and drummer Jerome Jennings. Guest appearances include saxophonist Troy Roberts and bassist Sam Anning, who also produced the session.

“This album is an offering of solace,” reflects Kristin. “It’s one thing to intellectually know that one’s life can contain blessings and trials, but at times you can feel so alone as you are making your way through the tougher days.” For Kristin, the album hopes to capture the stories, the sounds, and the intention of all those present: “You will hear the light and the dark, the deception and the truth, the collapse and the rise, which you will no doubt know only too well.”

After receiving Australia Council for the Arts support, Kristin and bassist-cum-producer Sam Anning ventured from Brisbane and Melbourne respectively to New York City to record with some of their favorite musicians. “Each of these pieces are about real people, from real life. All of the musicians took so much care to understand and capture the essence of the music,” explains Kristin.

The Light and the Dark shuns the tradition of typical jazz vocal albums, where the singer is the main attraction, and the musicians need to express something meaningful in often a short number of bars. “I wanted to allow space for the musicians to express and be open to anything musically,” reflects Kristin. “I aimed to provide a vehicle for the band to be fully present and flow where the music took them.”

Sam Anning’s musical integrity and creative finesse were invaluable in putting the collaboration together. “From his ears in the rehearsal time, to writing some crazy ‘soli’ lines, to helping with the wordless song, Bunker, the night before, to him hearing added vocal parts at the end of A Lie – Sam was completely invested in the music and was able to communicate what it needed to all present,” reflects Kristin.

One of the pieces on the album is by fellow Australian, Mark Sholtez. Mark had much success with the Verve jazz label as a singer and has had an ongoing connection with Kristin. “Mark and I were dreaming up collaborations, when he showed me the track What you Want,” explains Kristin. “This song really touched me. It was as if he seemed to have written a song about exactly how I was feeling at that time. It took me the best part of a year to be able to sing it through without crying, so I am thankful he shared it with me when he did! To sing this song with my friend Miro Sprague, who plays it with tenderness indescribable, was just such a privilege.”

For more information on this and other releases from Earshift Music, please visit their website.

Jazz Vocal Spotify Playlist

The Jazz In Europe “Jazz Vocal” playlist features a great selection of the best of todays Vocal Jazz, selected and curated by the team at Jazz In Europe. Updated weekly, this playlist is the perfect place to discover new music from the leading jazz vocalists currently on the scene. We hope you enjoy this selection.