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Enter the world of Meredith d'Ambrosio.
Jazz vocalist, pianist, lyricist, painter, writer, teacher.
News: Meredith's artbook "Watercolor, Eggshell Mosaic, Oil, Black Pencil" and her screenplay "Silent Passion" are both now available.
Sometime Ago
Meredith’s seventeen album has been released to rave reviews. Read the review on JazzWax here and read what Marc Myers has to say about her latest release.
Meredith has made available giclée prints of the painting used on the cover of Sometime Ago.
Please contact Meredith to discuss your purchase. Click here to email Meredith
Liner Notes for Sometime Ago writen by Doug Ramsey.
In the sweep of her seventeen albums for the Sunnyside label , Meredith d'Ambrosio has interpreted the finest songwriting of the past half-century. Her superb craftsmanship continues in this collaboration with four artists in the top ranks of con temporary music. As in all of her work, Meredith applies the harmonic and rhythmic gifts that have made her the envy not only of pianists and singers but also of artists like her companions here, all of them admired for their grasp of harmony and the joy of discovery in their phrasing. Pianist Randy Halberstadt combines with three other superb instrumentalists, including the father-and-son rhythm team of drummer Steve Johns and his bassist son Daryl, and the veteran flugelhornist, trumpeter and bandleader Don Sickler. In addition to their spirited performances. an indication of the camaraderie in this band came after the recording, when Meredith gave joyous thanks to Randy for his insights into the lyric of their song "Feast Your Eyes." "I love his thoughts on my playfulness." she told me later. "They make me laugh." The song has been a staple of the Halberstadt repertoire for a couple of decades.
As numerous reviewers have pointed out in evaluating her work. Meredith's treatments of lyrics–her own and those of songwriting giants like Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Alec Wilder and Johnny Mercer, are among the glories of recorded twentieth century music. "Open Heart" (now called "My Open Heart with Meredith's lyric) was the title cut of Randy's fifth recording (Origin Records 2018). The piece began life as an instrumental The composer explains. "The melody strikes me almost as a folk song, much of 1t based on a simple pentatonic scale." He says, "I was thrilled when Meredith agreed to write a lyric for it, and I love how she enhanced its tender quality."
Halberstadt recall that "Feast Your Eyes" made its debut as an instrumental number titled simply "Feast" on his first recording. Inner Voice (Pony Boy 1990 ). He says, "It had kind of a lean, mean, McCoy Tyner feel, so I had to laugh when I first heard Meredith's playful lyrics. He adds, "I wouldn't be surprised if it's the first song ever written about a woman at a party who can't get a guy's attention because he’s so into the food."
Randy wrote the music and lyric simultaneously for this collect1on's opening tune, "When Springtime Turns To Fall." It appeared on his album Clockwork (Pony Boy. 1995). For those taken with the piece who would like to learn 1t. he points out that the sheet music 1 s included m The All-Jazz Real Book (1990 Sher Music). The composition has since been recorded by a few singers, but the composer says that he especially loves Meredith's rend1t1on.
Randy spoke glowingly about the recording venue. "This was my first time recording in the storied Rudy Van Gelder Studio. It was like being in church–a jazz church, as it were–and I could fairly feel the spirts of legendary pianists past and present who had preceded me (Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Hank Jones, Herbie Hancock, and Kenny Barron, to name a few) Of course, Don and Maureen Sickler have been an integral part of the history of jazz and jazz recording, so it was a great honor to meet and work with them. After Meredith's recording was completed, I came back for a third day to record a solo piano album–on Monk's piano. It is to be released soon, I think." Let us all hope so.
Meredith adds.”Randy joined me for a week's concert tour in Israel years ago. I am most fortunate to have the pleasure of working with him on the West Coast in past years, and to have him record with me finally on this album. He's a vocalist's dream . I was amazed by the musicianship of Daryl Johns, who was in his very early twenties when we recorded this album, though he sounds as if he has been on this planet forever with his amazing chops. However, considering who his father is, I shouldn't be amazed. Steve Johns captured me with his very hip, melodic sound on the drums . And Don Sickler added his warm and sensual sound to the recording. His playing slays me.”
In conclusion, Meredith says, "I had been feeling for many years that the world has lost its romanticism. While preparing for this recording, I was not hesitant to renew my mission of reminding our lost world of the importance of love. I couldn't find a more meaningful word than 'love to express my thoughts ab out this venture and these colleagues" —Doug Ramsey
Doug Ramsey is the winner of two ASCAP Deems Taylor awards and the author of the award-winning biography Take Five. the Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. He blogs about jazz and other matters at https://www.artsjoumal.com/rifftides/
As numerous reviewers have pointed out in evaluating her work. Meredith's treatments of lyrics–her own and those of songwriting giants like Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Alec Wilder and Johnny Mercer, are among the glories of recorded twentieth century music. "Open Heart" (now called "My Open Heart with Meredith's lyric) was the title cut of Randy's fifth recording (Origin Records 2018). The piece began life as an instrumental The composer explains. "The melody strikes me almost as a folk song, much of 1t based on a simple pentatonic scale." He says, "I was thrilled when Meredith agreed to write a lyric for it, and I love how she enhanced its tender quality."
Halberstadt recall that "Feast Your Eyes" made its debut as an instrumental number titled simply "Feast" on his first recording. Inner Voice (Pony Boy 1990 ). He says, "It had kind of a lean, mean, McCoy Tyner feel, so I had to laugh when I first heard Meredith's playful lyrics. He adds, "I wouldn't be surprised if it's the first song ever written about a woman at a party who can't get a guy's attention because he’s so into the food."
Randy wrote the music and lyric simultaneously for this collect1on's opening tune, "When Springtime Turns To Fall." It appeared on his album Clockwork (Pony Boy. 1995). For those taken with the piece who would like to learn 1t. he points out that the sheet music 1 s included m The All-Jazz Real Book (1990 Sher Music). The composition has since been recorded by a few singers, but the composer says that he especially loves Meredith's rend1t1on.
Randy spoke glowingly about the recording venue. "This was my first time recording in the storied Rudy Van Gelder Studio. It was like being in church–a jazz church, as it were–and I could fairly feel the spirts of legendary pianists past and present who had preceded me (Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Hank Jones, Herbie Hancock, and Kenny Barron, to name a few) Of course, Don and Maureen Sickler have been an integral part of the history of jazz and jazz recording, so it was a great honor to meet and work with them. After Meredith's recording was completed, I came back for a third day to record a solo piano album–on Monk's piano. It is to be released soon, I think." Let us all hope so.
Meredith adds.”Randy joined me for a week's concert tour in Israel years ago. I am most fortunate to have the pleasure of working with him on the West Coast in past years, and to have him record with me finally on this album. He's a vocalist's dream . I was amazed by the musicianship of Daryl Johns, who was in his very early twenties when we recorded this album, though he sounds as if he has been on this planet forever with his amazing chops. However, considering who his father is, I shouldn't be amazed. Steve Johns captured me with his very hip, melodic sound on the drums . And Don Sickler added his warm and sensual sound to the recording. His playing slays me.”
In conclusion, Meredith says, "I had been feeling for many years that the world has lost its romanticism. While preparing for this recording, I was not hesitant to renew my mission of reminding our lost world of the importance of love. I couldn't find a more meaningful word than 'love to express my thoughts ab out this venture and these colleagues" —Doug Ramsey
Doug Ramsey is the winner of two ASCAP Deems Taylor awards and the author of the award-winning biography Take Five. the Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. He blogs about jazz and other matters at https://www.artsjoumal.com/rifftides/
Read a truely wonderful by Gordon Jack article about Meredith on the "Jazz Profiles" blog.
“Meredith d’Ambrosio should be far better known. Pianist, singer, composer, lyricist, teacher, calligrapher and artist she is a true renaissance woman who was frequently voted Talent Deserving Wider Recognition in Down Beat between 1982 and 1991. Despite her huge talent she has continued to fly under the radar even though her albums - 17 so far – have all been critically acclaimed.
Read the entire article here.
The Louis Armstong Legacy featuring Meredith d'Ambrosio
On November 21, 1996, Meredith performed at the Kennedy Center in a tribute to Louis Armstrong. She was the first of four singers selected to perform. The others were Carol Sloan, Sheila Jordan, and Betty Carter.
Read the program notes for the Kennedy Center program evening’s performance here.
The December 2020 issue of JazzTimes has a wonderful article about Meredith and her 1981 album Another Time.
“Meredith d’Ambrosio's second album from 1981, Another Time, is a perfect object, absolutely one of a kind. Her voice is low in range but light in affect. She's clearly a saloon singer, someone used to delivering torch songs to the accompaniment of booze and cigarettes, but somehow her presentation is totally innocent nonetheless….
Read the entire article here.
Read the entire article here.