I'm preparing to release my first album, which I started recording in the Spring, before I took my first solo show to the Edinburgh Festival in August.

There's a preview of some of the tracks from the album on MySpace here:
http://www.myspace.com/tricityvogue

I went into the studio to record with my favourite musicians last May, and took the recordings to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to use as backing tracks for my musical cabaret show, The Blue Lady Sings. The live show was a hit, with great reviews, and full houses. Now I want to turn the tracks into a CD that I can sell at my live cabaret shows, and band gigs. I want it to be a beautiful object as well as a collection of 12 lovingly crafted recordings - something to give as a present at Christmas - so I want to make 1000 CDs with an elegantly designed jewel case. I love all things vintage, and since I can't press my first album on vinyl, this is the next best thing. This will be my first album release since I started out as a live jazz singer 15 years ago, so it's a big landmark for me - and long overdue.

I need to raise $3300 to complete my album - to pay for the music license (for the cover versions), the CD manufacture, the post-production, and the CD artwork.

Here's a list of the 12 tracks I've recorded, that are ready and waiting to go on the album:
1. The Blue Lady Blues (so many men, and each one left me bluer than the last...)
2. Sometimes I Wish I Had A Gun (anthem for the literal femme fatale)
3. Say Hello Wave Goodbye (Soft Cell's 80s electro classic gets the torch song treatment)
4. Choli Ke Peeche (a 90s Bollywood hit - in Hindi - with extra sauce)
5. Bare Necessities (my jungle number)
6. Born To Be Blue (some old-style jazz crooning)
7. The Big Band Blues (complete with kazoo horn-section)
8. Put The Blame On Mame (ode to the greatest vamp of all time)
9. Milkshake (that 1920s lost Bessie Smith classic... or is it?)
10. Pussycat Paws (a groovy number for cat-lovers everywhere)
11. Table For Two (velvety, orchestral 50s pastiche)
12. Everybody Today Is Turning On (a duet with renowned ne'erdowell Dusty Limits)

Playing with me on the album are many of my favourite musicians in London, if not the world, including renowned guitar and ukulele genius Martin Wheatley, my longstanding musical collaborator Rosa Conrad, and Scottish Jazz Award-winning drummer Stu Ritchie, to name but three.

My music producer is the inventive and gifted Nick Trepka:
http://www.myspace.com/nicktrepka

The CD artwork is being designed by David Windmill, who also created the posters for my Edinburgh Fringe shows, that were continually being stolen by admiring festival-goers:
http://colourfieldmedia.co.uk/tricity1.html

I plan to launch my album at East London Cabaret haunt, Bistrotheque, on Wednesday 24 November, with a special performance of my live show, The Blue Lady Sings:
http://bistrotheque.com/entertainmentRead.php...

You can see me performing the finale of my live show The Blue Lady Sings here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tricityvogue#p/u/0/8OAE8HH67Zc

Here's the wicked Mr Dusty Limits joining me live on stage to perform Everybody Today Is Turning on at Pizza on the Park:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tricityvogue#p/u/19/q2g2fH24yHQ

And here's a live rendition of my luscious 50s Julie London homage, Table For Two:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tricityvogue#p/u/16/kXK6kDwGQy0

xxx