Sarah McKenzie to Release New Album 'Without You' Featuring Brazil's Famed Romero Lubambo (Guitar) & Jacques Morelenbaum (Cello) With Drummer Peter Erskine

Jazz pianist, composer/arranger and singer, Sarah McKenzie has wowed fans across the globe with stellar live performances at Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, The Blue Note (multiple locations), SFJAZZ, among other venerable venues, and her celebrated catalog of five critically-acclaimed albums.

Her sixth release, Without You, due out on October 27, 2023, spotlights a milestone moment in her career when she was invited to perform at the official opening of The Blue Note jazz club in Rio de Janeiro (2017). The genesis of Without You ignited that evening while performing with the illustrious Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo (touring guitarist for Astrud Gilberto), and meeting the legendary Jacques Morelenbaum (original cellist with Antonio Carlos Jobim).

In early 2020 (at the very beginning of the pandemic), Sarah contacted Jacques and Romero to remotely record her version of "Corcovado (Quiet Nights)" with the two masters in a trio format. The video went viral garnering 1.8 million views on Facebook, and was shared more than 17,000 times (LINK).

Festivals offers came rushing in and the trio went on to perform at Umbria Jazz Winter Festival in Orvieto, Italy, as well as in Germany and Portugal. Astonishingly, Jacques and Romero had never performed or recorded together. The trio was a hit and Without You became the realization of Sarah McKenzie's greatest dream.

"If music speaks to you, it becomes a part of who you are," says Sarah. "My affinity for Oscar Peterson's Motions and Emotions and Bill Evans' Portrait In Jazz led to my discovery of bossa nova. Antonio Carlos Jobim's songs are so beautiful, I just fell in love with Brazilian music because of him. His honesty is so deep, yet he sings of the simple pleasures of life: the birds, falling in love, his admiration for Brazil, city life. Without You pays homage to Brazilian tradition with a modern jazz aesthetic."

Without You features an array of Antonio Carlos Jobim songs along with four original compositions written and arranged by Sarah and a few other selections all performed by Sarah with her all-star band.

With the addition of bassist Geoff Gascoyne (who worked regularly with Jamie Cullum and Michel Legrand), the famous drummer Peter Erskine (Weather Report), and percussionist Rogerio Boccato, who previously played on Sarah's Secrets of My Heart album, plus Bob Sheppard making guest appearances on flute and soprano sax, Without You shines a light on both classic and new songs led by one of today's rising jazz stars.

Without You begins with "Gentle Rain," which emulates the sensuality and cinematic nature of the song at a perfect slow tempo. "Corcovado" highlights Sarah's vocals along with a feature of Morelenbaum's cello. Her first original, "The Voice of Rio," appearing on Without You is dedicated to Antonio Carlos Jobim and conjures up unforgettable images of Rio de Janeiro. Her "Mean What You Say" is a fast samba reminiscent of performances by the great Joao Gilberto.

Morelenbaum contributes three arrangements on Without You with "Dindi," "Bonita," and a particularly beautiful rendition of "Fotografia." On the latter, his cello harmonizes beautifully with Sarah's voice during brilliant sections. The pianist's original "Quoi, Quoi, Quoi" has a playful melody that dances along with singular soprano work by Sheppard. Jobim's "Once I Loved" is a tender number with a wistful vocal full of longing.

Sarah pens a sensitive lyric to Romero Lubambo's "Without You," a ballad conjuring lost love. Sheppard's flute and Rogerio's percussion add layers of color and emotion of the standout performance. About "Wave," Sarah says, "One of my favorite versions is by Elis Regina and Toots Thielemans. My arrangement tries to capture the joy that Elis brings to the song. I featured Romero's playing because he is a masterful guitarist and everything he plays is always in the right place."

"Dindi" is a poignant and thoughtful rendition of Jobim's classic tune and features Sheppard on flute. While she was initially hesitant about recording Jobim's most famous composition, "The Girl From Ipanema," Sarah decided to start with its bridge and add some new transitions along with shifts in moods. She says, "Everybody knows this song, even those who do not know jazz or Brazilian music. I knew that if I was going to record it, I was going to do it differently, make it into a suite with different sections. This arrangement is different from other versions."

"Chega De Saudade (No More Blues)" highlights Sarah singing in Portuguese with the bridge in English. After a haunting interpretation of the love song "Bonita" (with an expressive cello solo), the set concludes with Sarah singing and playing by herself on an evocative interpretation of "Modinha."

About Sarah McKenzie

Sarah McKenzie grew up in Australia, taking classical piano lessons from the age of five. A teacher introduced her to rock, the blues, and boogie-woogie when she was nine. "By the age of 15, I heard Oscar Peterson's Night Train record and that was the turning point for me. It was such happy music that I knew that I wanted to do that with my life."

Sarah went on to formerly train at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and received a Bachelor of Music. She won the Generations in Jazz Vocal scholarship, an Aria (Australian GRAMMY) and a Bell Award in Australia.

Sarah first came to America in 2012 when she was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. She signed with the Impulse! label, went on tours worldwide, lived and worked in Paris and London, and has recorded six jazz albums: Don't Tempt Me, Close Your Eyes, We Could Be Lovers, Paris In The Rain, Secrets Of My Heart, and Without You. Sarah currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif.

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