Hello, and a giant "thank you" to all who contributed to my Kickstarter campaign. 

I know you have been chomping at the bit to receive a copy of the new CD, as so many of you have asked about its progress, so I wanted to let you know how much has been going on behind the scenes.

We were all set to start recording last summer, but scheduling conflicts abounded with my bass player, so we had a number of rehearsals with just piano and drums until Marc became available. Sessions began in September, but due to both a death in the family and a damaging mishap in the studio, we didn't finish sessions until a few months after. 

I initially planned to record fourteen tunes, expecting to cut the finished CD down to ten. All of the tracks came out great though, so we shall see what happens to all my "children!"

A little editing and much mixing has been happening since, and I believe we are closing in on the final exact sound we want. In addition, I still have hopes to add a little flute line to one of the cuts, my own arrangement of Irving Berlin's "I Got Lost In His Arms." A superb evening at the home of legendary composer David Amram yielded a very exotic-sounding intro to one of the tunes, with me on violin, and David on the chinese wind instrument hulusi. (Bet you never heard of that one before!) Will Galison, the harmonica you hear on Sesame Street, graciously added his fantastic touch to my original blues tune "The Committee."

In the meantime, I have been performing, both as Diane Perry and as part of other groups, and the band and I had a chance to try out all of the CD material at a wonderful pre-release concert at the Mahwah Library, where the audience was marvelously receptive, supportive, (many pre-ordered the CD) AND standing-room only! (Thanks to Denise Laude, for her wonderful promotion efforts there.)

I also have produced a special Pre-Release CD Preview, made especially for you Kickstarter contributers, and want to share it with as soon as possible. As I would be asking you soon for contact info since many of you have requested the CD or other gifts with your contribution, I will be making a kickstarter questionnaire designed to get address and other information from you, so look for it in your email box.

The preview contains a total of five tracks: three standards and two of my original songs, and I hope you enjoy it. Only 130 copies were made, and will only be shared with those who contributed to the making of the CD or people who have pre-ordered it. The rest will be used for booking and promotional purposes, so if you have any venue you think I should approach about a "Diane Perry" show, please let me know!

Here's the current list of personnel for the disc, which is now entitled "Out Of My Dreams", after the lovely Rodgers and Hammerstein tune from "Oklahoma":

Diane Perry, violin and vocals

Ted Brancato, Piano

Marc Schmied, Bass

Don Williams, Drums

Special guests: David Amram, Hulusi, and Will Galison, Blues Harp

We have two concerts confirmed now, one at the Carlstadt Library Wednesday, May 2nd at 7, and one where it all began, at the Folk Project's Minstrel Concert Series, in Morristown, NJ, Friday, June 15th, at 8.

We'd love to set up a tour and are hoping to book some performances in states surrounding our native NY and NJ, and also hoping to head in the direction of Nashville, where I made some wonderful contacts a few months ago on my scouting trip. 

I am currently shopping around for the right press person, and have already found the BEST person for Radio Promotion: Neal Sapper, from New World 'N Jazz Promotion, and all kinds of good things are underway, so stay tuned!

Thanks!

Diane Perry

I do not have words to describe my feelings today, my heart is so full I can barely stand it. Certainly I am terribly grateful to the generous and thoughtful backers who answered the call.

I promise this will be an incredible recording that you will be proud to have been a part of.

Thank you all so very, very much.

Diane Perry

Hey there! Long time no postings, right!

Well, if you have checked this out, and have not become a backer, I hope this will get you off the fence. Please support the project, at just a dollar, since that is the minimum, so I know you exist! You will get some very special extras when you do, including access to the backers-only postings, which will continue after the project has launched. ($1055 to go and only ten days!)

Here is some footage of me introducing the special song at my show where John Colianni and I perform it for the very first time.

Do YOU know what tune it is?

Follow me on Twitter, if you're into that sort of thing! I am DianePerryJazz there. Also, feel free to check out the website at dianeperryjazz.com  It has been at a little bit of a standstill lately, but the free download song will be changed in a couple days, so get your freebies by using the contact link on the site!

And thanks for visiting. Please tell others about it, so they can watch the videos and get excited too! And don't forget to send me your song lyrics and/or music for the contest! I can't wait to get my hands on what you've got!

Diane Perry

DianePerryJazz.com

Here's proof that when you are a jazz musician, sometimes you gotta go with the flow. I have a version of this clip without the extra little incident at the beginning, but I thought you'd enjoy seeing what can happen at a live show! I will eventually post this to YouTube without the bit at the top. Just a little inside joke to all of you.

By the way, I have performed this tune many times with Barry Wahrhaftig's wonderful group, The Hot Club of Philadelphia, and it always brings the house down. Great guitarist, leader and musician, a great band, sweet CD and a heck of a nice guy to boot. Check his work out, you will love it! People go crazy for his particular brand of Gypsy Jazz and I enjoy being a part of it so much.

Diane Perry