Stella Cole returns to American standards with her trio on Imagination
Stella Cole has released Imagination, an album of American songbook standards recorded with her regular piano, bass and drums trio. The repertoire includes As Time Goes By and Polka Dots and Moonbeams. In an interview with The Arts Fuse, Cole traced her route from lockdown videos to New York club performances and professional recording.
Arts··Evening
A voice and trio revisit the songbook
Singer Stella Cole’s Imagination features American songbook standards with pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Michael Migliore and drummer Hank Allen-Barfield.[1], [2]
Cole released her third full-length studio album through Decca Records US on 30 October. The repertoire includes As Time Goes By, Imagination, Polka Dots and Moonbeams and It Had to Be You, in a setting centred on voice, piano, bass and drums.[1]
This is the same trio that regularly accompanies her.[2]
From lockdown videos to New York club performances
Cole grew up in Springfield, Illinois, listening to musicals and singers including Judy Garland and Nat Cole. She studied international affairs and musical theatre at Northwestern University. During the pandemic lockdown, her father encouraged her to post singing videos. She told The Arts Fuse’s Steve Provizer that listeners began sending messages about the comfort they found in those performances. After moving to New York, she approached clubs and restaurants and began performing there.[2]
Crowdfunding helped finance her first recording
Cole raised 60,000 dollars through crowdfunding for her debut recording and went on to work with producer Matt Pierson. Imagination follows projects including Snow, It’s Magic and Live at the Cafe Carlyle. Its songs also include I’m Old Fashioned, Soon It’s Gonna Rain, Till There Was You and That’s All. In her interview, Cole said scat singing did not feel authentic to her, describing a personal choice about how she performs this repertoire.[2]
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