Female singer-songwriters and jazz singers, they are quickly judged on the basis of comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones. Mai-Liis is one of the few to pass the test.
With the release of her second recording, Mai-Liis has come into her own with a fresh set of tunes that are signature to her compelling musical storytelling. Through a voice that's uniquely hers, along with the ongoing writing partnership with composer/pianist Darin Clendenin, Mai-Liis' honest and understated delivery draws the listener in with its intimate calling, creating the feeling that you are who she is speaking to. With a great affinity for the works of Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Kurt Weill, and Leonard Cohen, Mai-Liis' work harkens back to songwriters of an earlier time. She delivers songs that are vulnerable and relatable. She can swing and she can phrase. She is the real deal.
1 Book 5:09
2 Wash Away the Wrong 5:03
3 What If I Met You Then 5:02
4 New Year's Ditty 3:23
5 Whitehorse, Yukon 4:37
6 Elmo 4:26
7 Wondrin' 4:41
8 Daddy's Girl Blues 4:09
9 Springtime 3:37
Mai-Liis - vocals
David Lee Joyner - piano
Darin Clendenin - piano (1,9)
Clipper Anderson - bass
Brian Monroney - guitar
Mark Ivester - drums and percussion
Guest Soloists:
Charlie Porter - trumpet (1,2)
Alexey Nikolaev - alto & tenor saxophone (4,6,9)
Susan Pascal - vibraphone (3)
Hans Teuber - alto flute (5)
Produced by Greta Matassa
Recorded & mixed by Ben Lange
at David Lange Studios, Edgewood, WA
Recorded November 2023 - January 2024
Mastered by Ross Nyberg
at Nyberg Mastering, Issaquah, WA
Photography by Steve Korn
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Vocalist Mai-Liis teams up with a core of David Lee Joyner-Darin Clendenin/p, Brian Monroney/g, Clipper Anderson/b, Mark Ivester/dr and a handful of cameo guests on this collection of originals. She's got a sandied tone to her style, working well on the pretty and thoughtful "Book" and slinky with Alexey Nikolaev's tenor on "New Year's Ditty". Ther ...
Wild Mercury Rhythm (C. Michael Bailey)
By the time Canadian vocalist/composer Mai-Liis (my LEASE) recorded her debut recording Mai-Liis On Life (OA2 Records, 2021), it had taken her 30 years to become an overnight sensation—and she may be skeptical of that. Refreshing is the fact that there is not one jazz standard on either her debut or its follow-up, Kaleidoscope. That fact alone pl ...