Colorado-based Jazz chanteuse Mellani Day announced the release of her first full-length, genre-breaking album ‘Mostly True’, co-produced by renowned jazz pianist Eric Gunnison. The original vocal jazz-centric tunes feature a rich mix of genres from smooth jazz & blues to reggae & calypso, as well as a bluesy version of Huey Lewis’ hit, “I Want a New Drug!” In addition, the songs “True Love” and “Progress” ‘received Billboard Song Competition Honorable Mentions.

Mellani and her band Dazed will be introducing her album to fans this August 25th at The Millennium Harvest Hotel in Boulder, Colorado as a part of the 99.5FM Mountain Radio FAC (Friday Afternoon Club) series. Fans can also check out a review of the album in the October issue of Jazz Times’ Vox CD review column.

“Mellani’s sultry voice flows over the jazzy blues rock and Eric Gunnison’s lush piano. Lyrically she tells us intimate tales of what’s on her mind the night she penned them…” J-Sin, Editor at Smother.net

Mellani previous three song EP, ‘Shy to Sure’, was welcomed with rave reviews, with two of the songs - “Shy to Sure” and “Jade to Sapphire” - winning honorable mentions in the 2004 Billboard World Songwriting Competition.

It was while in college that Mellani started writing songs. She soon began to seek out musicians to back her up in a variety of settings. She played keyboard and sang covers at student and community events with The Administration Blues Band at the international college she worked at in Heidelberg, Germany in 1992. Living in Europe exposed Mellani to a variety of world-musical styles which she incorporates in her songs. Having relocated to Denver in 1994, she continued to write and perform at various songwriter sessions until 1998 when she joined Live Wire, a working blues band in Denver that included some of her original songs in their sets. In 2002, Mellani also began playing a regular weekly gig in Aurora, Colorado with the Experience Band.

Eventually, the drive to focus on original music that incorporated all of the musical influences she loves - classic vocal jazz, rock, blues, Latin and reggae/island beats - led her to form her own band, Dazed, which joined Mellani on her two latest CDs. Comprised of five musicians with backgrounds in jazz, folk and rock, the members include Jamie Krutz, guitar and electric violin; Michael Willis, bass; Keith Whiting, Drums; on selected tracks Sky Canyon, vibes and congas; Phil Garcia, guitar; Bob Rebholz, sax; and Dirk Mewes on the bonus track playing the Uilleann bagpipe and a whistle made out of a ski pole.

http://www.mellaniday.com
http://www.myspace.com/dazedband

‘Mostly True’ Track Listing
1. “If They Only Knew” - a blues rock rager
2. “Something to Swear By” - call it spy jazz
3. “Progress” - a reggae jazz romp (with a bit of R&B thrown in)
4. “I Want a New Drug” - a fresh and jazzy take on the hit song by Huey Lewis
5. “You Can Get There” - encouragement that could be a TV show soundtrack
6. “Yesterday’s Lei” - say it out loud and you’ll know what this reggae song’s about
7. “So Much of Nothing” - a calypso dream of time in warmer places / reminiscent of a Jimmy Buffet classic
8. “My Heart” - written about the sweetness and sadness of living with someone who has a long term illness
9. “Power Struggle” - blues for poor Atlas, who has a job to do but wants to enjoy life a bit
10. “Joy Tonight” - another cheerful reggae track
11. “Don’t You Hate It?” - a cynical question in jazz clothing
Bonus Track. “True Love (A Wedding Song)” - that Celtic-style wedding song / Awesome Braveheart-ish sound.

Sounni de Fontenay