Songs from the Heart

2007 Grammy nominees Kirk Whalum and Ed Calle along with fellow tenor saxophonist, the late, great Boots Randolph are featured on this album of timeless standards starring vocalist Sylvia Bennett. Sylvia Bennett The Timeless Voice, has been known for her silky smooth voice, clear and bright tone and warm personality. Songs from the Heart showcases her soft, romantic side. It s unplugged, transparent and my soul is exposed she says. Bennett, herself a Grammy nominee for Sentimental Journey with Lionel Hampton, considers it a wonderful honor to have her voice enveloped by some of the finest musicians of our time. It s also a piece of history, says album producer Hal S. Batt of AfterHours Recording Studio. We re capturing a moment in time that won t happen again between three of the greatest tenor sax players in the world. The three tenors all play on the track Since I Fell for You. It s back to real players, back to grass roots. It s organic music, not amplified without synthesizers. The feel is the Blue Note lounge, authentic music...from the heart, producer Hal S. Batt says. I hope this music touches people in a heartfelt way, which is the way it touches me, Sylvia Bennett says. I find it uplifting, hopeful, even comforting and it truly expresses how I feel about life. Unfortunately, Boots Randolph, who died in July, 2007, did not get to hear the finished album. His long and distinguished career spanned 40 years and included recordings with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, REO Speedwagon, Al Hirt and Jerry Lee Lewis. But he was best known for his own hit Yakety Sax. Ed Calle received a 2007 Latin Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Album. The two-time Grammy nominee can also be heard on albums by Frank Sinatra, Vicky Carr, Arturo Sandoval and Jon Secada. Kirk Whalum received his eighth Grammy nomination in 2007, this time for Best Pop Instrumental Album. He has performed worldwide with such notables as Whitney Houston, Babyface, Yolanda Adams, Take 6, Bebe & Cece Winans, Barbara Streisand, Kevin Mahogany, Al Green and Luther Vandross. Songs from the Heart percussionist, Sammy Figueroa is a two-time Grammy nominee, including a 2007 Latin Grammy nomination for Latin Jazz Album. The acoustic recording also includes bassist Chuck Bergeron, known as co-arranger for Kevin Mahogany and for his long affiliation with the Woody Herman Big Band. On piano is Brian Murphy who has recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall and Paquito D Rivera among many others. Drummer is Frank Derrick who toured worldwide with Cab Calloway and was drummer for The David Letterman Show. Producer Hal S. Batt also plays guitar on the album. He is an award winning producer and songwriter who has also worked with Julio Iglesias, Sandy Patty, Shakira, Regina Bell and Jean Carne among many others. In addition to her recording projects, Sylvia is an international entertainer whose shows include an intimate cabaret style show to a performance with a big band. The silken voiced songstress sings in English, Spanish, and French. She has performed at two presidential inaugurations and has worked with Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Jerry Van Dyke, Rita Moreno, David Brenner, Jackie Mason, Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, Dick Clark, Luis Rodriguez (El Puma) and her mentor, Lionel Hampton. Lionel Hampton described Sylvia Bennett The Timeless Voice best when he said, Man, the lady can sing! Her magic gets to the ears and the hearts of the audience. Songs from the Heart featuring The Three Tenors Boots Randolph, Ed Calle and Kirk Whalum warms the heart and stirs the soul.