...she lets the listener into her intimate world without inhibitions. The velvety and smoky voice makes you feel as if you are suddenly dropped into a small jazz club where an artist gives the best of himself in the early hours, only for loyal customers after the main audience has long since left. From here on you are completely under her spell and you will never get home before dawn.
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.
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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