oh Cook

Vocalist Carla Cook follows up her 1999 Grammy-nominated It's All About Love with a sterling mixed bag of songs that range from bossa nova and bop to funk, gospel, and even country. To top off the eclecticism, she employs the trombone trio of Fred Wesley, Craig Harris, and Tyrone Jefferson, resulting in an intoxicating album that's as adventurous as it is accessible. Cook's spry readings of Matthew Gee's "Oh Gee" and the gleaming bossa nova prance of Dori Caymmi's "Like a Lover" show off her optimistic voice and needlepoint articulation and intonation.

Carla Cook's Dem Bones follows her critically acclaimed and commercially successful Maxjazz debut, It's All About Love. The Grammy-nominated artist taps into her diverse musical influences and presents a musical autobiography reflected in 11 songs. The precision of her multi-hued voice is accompanied by such great musicians as Cyrus Chestnut on piano; Fred Wesley, Craig Harris, and Tyrone Jefferson on trombones; James Genus on bass; and Billy Kilson on drums. Packed with straight-ahead jazz, the crowning glory on this CD is the approach she uses on the title cut, "Dem Bones." Tastefully arranged for three trombones (her voice being the fourth "bone") Cook's presentation adds a modern dimension to the use of the trombone – both muted and open – as an expressive "voice" in a jazz composition.

Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music is a 4-CD box set released in 1996 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Juno Awards. A second box set, Oh What a Feeling 2, was released in 2001 to mark the awards' 30th anniversary, and a third set, Oh What a Feeling 3, was released in 2006 for the 35th anniversary. All of the sets feature popular Canadian songs from the 1960s onward. The sets were titled for the song "Oh What a Feeling" by rock band Crowbar. The original 25th anniversary box set peaked at #3 on the Canadian Albums Chart and was certified Diamond in Canada.