Gin & Jazz @ Reid's Distillery: Sheila Soares

Sheila Soares releases Journey to the Present September 2022

This September 2022, Sheila Soares will release her second album of eight songs – Journey to the Present.

Six of the eight compositions are written solely by Soares. The contemporary jazz title track is a poem written by Randal Gordy Lee, for which Sheila wrote music, and there is a cover of the iconic Rush song Limelight, also arranged as a contemporary jazz piece by Sheila.

Journey to the Present was recorded in early 2022 at Kensington Sound, Toronto, with Bernie Cisternas once again engineering, mixing, and mastering. Cisternas recorded Sheila’s 2019 debut album, All There Is. The producer role this time was shared between Sheila and Bernie. The core musicians are some of Canada’s best jazz interpreters and composers themselves: Jordan O’Connor, bass, Jeff McLeod, piano and organ, Ted Warren, drums, and Eric St-Laurent, guitar.

For this recording, Sheila wanted to vary instrumentation according to each unique piece and invite guest players to further elevate the music. The title track features the incomparable Alison Young on saxophone. New Orleans meets Nashville for the irresistible Hot Lemon and Honey Kind of Gal, with Roberta Hunt, piano, Glenn Anderson, drums, Natalie Wong, violin, and Marie Goudy, trumpet, making guest appearances. Natalie Wong also contributes her violin virtuosity to the folk-esque final track Don’t Sleep, alongside tender acoustic guitar playing from Toronto folk
musician Myke Mazzei. Juno winner Paul Reddick haunts the bluesy I Don’t Need to Tell You Everything with his signature harmonica sound.

Soares was also deliberate in giving the core players space to shine. The aching ballad Rescued features just voice, piano, and bass, with Jordan O’Connor giving a compelling, yearning solo. Jeff McLeod heats it up with the Hammond organ for Left and I Don’t Need to Tell You Everything, Ted Warren sets the stage with an intriguing improvised drum introduction to the thoughtful interpretation of Limelight, while Eric St-Laurent contributes his guitar mastery, particularly on the sultry swing tune Man Who Makes Me Lose My Mind and the ethereal Limelight.

Don’t miss taking this Journey!