Vocalist Tracy Whitney Releases 2nd Project, “I Am Singing…Songs I Love” | Avail Now

On
her stunning sophomore album, Tracey Whitney pays joyful homage to a
diverse mix of musicians who have inspired her own singing and
songwriting. Rounded out by three original tracks, “I Am Singing…Songs I
Love” (a nod at her cover of the Stevie Wonder classic, “Ngiculela – Es
Una Historia/I Am Singing”) features the Los Angeles/Albuquerque-based
singer’s stirring renditions of classic yet lesser-covered songs by
artists like Michael Franks, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. At turns breezy
and beautifully moving, the follow-up to 2007’s much-acclaimed “Love…A
Fable in 9 Acts” serves up more of the silky Jazz-Soul fusion that’s
become the trademark for this former child singing sensation and backup
vocalist for the legendary Ray Charles.

Listeners and radio
programmers can go to www.babydollentertainment.com and
www.cdbaby.com/cd/traceywhitney2 to hear and purchase songs from “I Am
Singing…Songs I Love”.

The latest release from Tracey’s own
BabyDoll Entertainment, I Am Singing…Songs I Love first began taking
shape in the midst of a reignited infatuation with “Eli’s Coming” (a
Three Dog Night hit authored by Laura Nyro). “I couldn’t get ‘Eli’s
Coming’ out of my head, so I ended up heading into the studio and
recording my own version to get it out of my system—but then we just
kept going, ” recalls Whitney. Working with co-producer and
multi-instrumentalist Herman “Hollywood” Dawkins, Tracey went on to lay
down seven more covers and several original songs that elegantly flaunt
her tightly honed harmonic sense.

Though I Am Singing… marks
only her second solo album, Whitney’s musical history stretches all the
way back to age 11. At the famed Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, Tracey
made her debut as part of The Whitney Family (a singing group that
included her mother and seven brothers and sisters). Over the next
decade, The Whitney Family toured the world and recorded two albums
(including “Let Me Be Your Woman, ” a Billboard magazine top singles
pick). Tracey struck out on her own at age 22, becoming a hit nightclub
act in Los Angeles and Tokyo before landing her role as a Raelette in
Charles’s 1991 tour of the United States. “After singing with Ray
Charles in a five-part-harmony structure, my brain can no longer hear
anything in fewer than five parts, ” she notes, adding that Charles
greatly deepened her understanding of melody.

But while
Whitney’s extraordinary career has played a key role in shaping the
smooth sound heard throughout I Am Singing…Songs I Love, her pop
instincts, soulful sensibility, and irresistibly natural ease behind the
microphone are all essential to the album. Whether reimagining Garth
Brooks’ Beatles-esque country pastiche “Wrapped Up In You” as a soaring,
scat-laced celebration of love or giving a sweet nod to the Jackson 5
by joining her brother (and fellow former Whitney Family member) Glynn
Whitney on an update of Michael Jackson’s jazzy “I Can’t Help It, ”
Tracey pairs her dynamic vocals with refined arrangements to glorious
effect. On her original numbers, meanwhile, Whitney introduces
innovative elements that let her own singular style shine through:
“Heartbreak 2011, ” for instance, combines a quietly powerful beat and
aching lyrics (“I lost my chance at heaven”) with a heart rending
spoken-word intro and outro.

No matter if she’s delivering an
original song or a cover, Tracey infuses her songs with a slick
sophistication that’s uncommon in today’s musical landscape. “It’s
lovely if younger people enjoy my music, but I’m really singing for
adults, and telling real stories about real situations, ” says Whitney.
“What I hope is for people to hear my songs and connect with them on a
very emotional level—and ultimately get a sense of calm and joy from
that.”

In addition to Hollywood, the album also features Tim
Anderson (from Love… A Fable In 9 Acts) on saxophone, brother Glynn
Whitney and sister Cozette Whitney-Bolden performing vocals.