Julian Yeo

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sounds like a good time to me.

March 2011- Acclaimed Australian Jazz vocalist, Julian Yeo has paired up with hot young American jazz pianist Adam Birnbaum to deconstruct the all-time favorite standard "You and the Night and the Music" into two stunning albums - an upbeat swing album YOU AND THE NIGHT and a smoldering piano/vocal duo ballad album NIGHT AND THE MUSIC. The two-disc CD set is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and cdbaby.com.

In promotion of the new album, two special preview performances will be held in advance of his appearance at the famed Iridium Jazz Club in New York City:

March 17, 2011 at 7PM – Free Preview Performance
March 17, 2011 at 8:30PM – Free Preview Performance
Time Out New York Lounge at New World Stages (340 West 50th St).

March 30, 2011 at 8PM – Iridium Jazz Club
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling 212.582.2121 or online at www.ticketweb.com

YOU AND THE NIGHT portrays an evening between two lovers; an old flame, new lust or life-long love. Upbeat and lighthearted, fun bubbles up to a jazzy fizz with sultry Manhattan as the backdrop. Imagine the spirited and carefree essence of a jazz club straight out of the 50s.

NIGHT AND THE MUSIC is a piano vocal duo album recorded in the wee hours after wrapping up with the trio for "You and the Night.” Julian's direct and honest delivery, coupled with Adam's exquisite piano styling capture the smoother, darker soul of "night.” Loneliness, sadness, reminiscence, pain and death - but all of them amidst the hint of hope that romance inspires.

An original retro-jazz-vocalist with a unique “new-old” approach, Julian blends classic charm with a contemporary twist. Inspired by the relaxed and lightly swinging phrasing of Bing Crosby and other legendary musical giants, he could have easily fit into the 1930s pop/jazz scene. He’s made a strong impression in New York, having performed at at New World Stages, Iridium Jazz Club, the Reprise Room at Dillon’s, the Triad, Banjo Jim’s, and the Underground Lounge among others.

Raised in Australia, Julian remembers hearing Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra's recordings early in his life. He took piano lessons and appeared in a few singing contests while focusing on his education, earning a PhD in accounting. He moved to New York City in July 2004 to accept a professorial position at Columbia University in its business school. “After moving to New York, the chance to finally unleash the music stirring up in me became real,” recalls Julian. “A booking manager saw one of my performances at an open mic and encouraged me to put together a show. Since that first show, there’s been so much encouragement from the audiences here in the U.S, Europe and Australia. I feel blessed to do be able to do what I love all over the world.”

Yeo is joined by Musical Director and pianist Adam Birnbaum, one of the emerging as one of the top young voices in jazz piano. Since arriving on the New York scene in 2003, he has become increasingly prominent performing in clubs and festivals around the world, working with artists as diverse as Greg Osby, Al Foster, Eddie Henderson, Carl Allen, and Wynton Marsalis. Adam has performed frequently in New York jazz clubs such as the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Birdland, the Jazz Standard and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, as well as in national and international venues such as the Gilmore Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Montreal Jazz Festival, and the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.

This is Julian’s fourth release and follows his hit 2010 release Deep Purple Dreams, 2008’s Unusual Passageand his critically acclaimed 2006 debut CD Old, New, Borrowed, Blue. WHLI Radio named Unusual Passageone of their “Top Albums of 2008” and TalkinBroadway.com raved, calling it a “a gratifying, stylish time warp that’s refreshing and rousing.”

In addition to broadcast outlets across the United States, Julian’s recordings have been featured on radio stations in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, France and Argentina.

YOU AND THE NIGHT SONG LIST:

1. You and the Night and the Music 2. Lover, Come Back to Me 3. Manhattan 4. I'm in the Mood for Love 5. At Long Last Love 6. It's De-Lovely 7. I Want to Be Happy 8. It Might as Well Be Spring 9. It Could Happen to You 10. After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It 11. I Wish You Love 12. Boy Wanted 13. If I Were a Bell 14. I Get a Kick Out of You 15. It All Depends on You

NIGHT AND THE MUSIC SONG LIST:

1. I Thought About You 2. Embraceable You 3. Dancing in the Dark 4. Stardust 5. Alone Together 6. Miss Otis Regrets 7. 'Round Midnight 8. Prelude to a Kiss 9. After You've Gone 10. The Party's Over 11. I Walk a Little Faster 12. Avalon