about "Kiss Me Like That": Diane Nalini's latest musical project

About this project ...

In late December of 2008, I was invited to perform on CBC Radio’s The Sunday Edition, during a piece on the International Year of Astronomy for which I'd be talking about Galileo, Copernicus, and other astronomers with host Michael Enright. If you'd like to listen to the podcast of that interview, click below. The interview and songs start around the 7 minute mark and last about 30 minutes.

Diane Nalini on CBC's "The Sunday Edition"

While pondering what music I might sing to accompany the interview, I ended up with a list of over 20 songs, some of them jazz standards, and some of them my own originals. They all had one thing in common: they celebrated humanity’s ongoing fascination with the sky and what lies beyond it. I ended up singing “Blue Moon,” and an original of mine, “Kiss Me Like That.”

But that list of songs set me thinking... and the incredibly positive response I received about "Kiss Me Like That" from listeners across Canada helped me decide to do this recording. So I owe huge thanks to the CBC, The Sunday Edition team I worked with (Michael Enright, Jean Dalrymple, and Mark Ulster), and all the wonderful fans who wrote in, demanding that I make this record.

The jean dream team: Kelly Jefferson, Kieran Overs, Diane Nalini, Anthony Michelli, Joey Goldstein

Just around new year's day 2009, I called up Joey, who had done the live recording with me for The Sunday Edition, and fortuitously he was free in early January. Getting us all together before our teaching semesters started would be the key. I had worked with Joey and Kieran when I first moved to Ontario, at a concert where we opened for Jimmy Webb in Guelph, and at a couple of gigs at the Toronto downtown music festival. They sound so fantastic together.

Kieran always nails the vibe with ease and musicality, and so much joyful energy (listen to that grooving bassline he came up with on "Love in outer space"). You can hear the smile in his playing! Joey is a subtle, melodic guitarist with a warm and lovely sound. I was especially delighted with his beautiful work on "Valparaiso". But his dextrous fingers sure can fly on the up tempo tunes like "Moonlight saving time."

Anthony always makes every song sound unique, and plays with such firey energy. He switches effortlessly between grooves, from my raga-meets-reggae song "Love In Outer Space" to the swing of "They All Laughed", and he can do everything in between. No matter what style he plays, he owns it completely. And Kelly has such a beautiful voice on saxophone. I first met Kelly 17 years ago in Montreal when I was just starting out as a young jazz singer. He already sounded great then, and today he's utterly exquisite.

I feel blessed to have worked with this intuitive, deeply musical group.

Diane and Jeremy Darby

So on January 11 and 13, 2009, amidst the cold and snow, we went in to record a new album. Getting everyone together on such short notice was amazing enough, but finding the right studio was no less important. In this I was especially lucky because I ended up with one of the very best: Jeremy Darby at Canterbury Studios in Toronto.

I'm grateful to my band for recommending him, because I can honestly say it was one of the most pleasant recording experiences I've had on either side of the Atlantic. Jeremy brings a producer's ear to the table, and we were so often on exactly the same wavelength. He's a true gentleman, a consumate professional, and a joy to work with.

Photos on this page courtesy of Kieran Overs