LOS ANGELES (By Rick Scott/ Great Scott Productions) - Sometimes we're inspired by those closest to us. For her seventh album, chart-topping cool-jazz guitarist
Joyce Cooling turned to her brother for inspiration on her forthcoming Narada Jazz/Blue Note Label Group release, Revolving Door, which will arrive in record stores nationally on
September 12th. Cooling's brother has been battling schizophrenia ever since they grew up together. She wrote the songs that comprise the album with her long-time collaborator Jay Wagner, who produced the collection. A portion of the proceeds from album sales will go directly to the
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to help support people living with mental illness. The first track being serviced to smooth jazz radio is the uplifting and funky 'Mildred's Attraction,' which will go for adds on August 14th.
Revolving Door is the most personal recording from Cooling to date. It's an eclectic body of electric and acoustic jazz, R&B, blues and Latin rhythms that allowed the Bay Area resident to stretch creatively. She used ten different guitars on the ten compositions, each with a different sound that was used to fit a specific emotion for each particular song. Cooling croons on several cuts, her voice chill, elegant and jazzy. The melodies and moods are diverse and although the title cut inspired the record, the subject matter, while at times pensive, never becomes depressing or overwrought with despair. Instead Cooling offers compassion and understanding.
'I wanted to make the music real and about something that matters,' explained Cooling. 'Revolving Door is different from the rest of our CDs in that we wanted to tell the story first, and then let the music follow. �Revolving door' is a metaphor for a situation we humans often find ourselves in where there is seemingly no beginning and no end to a problem. It can be a frustrating treadmill with the same path ruthlessly cycling under your feet.'
A photogenic natural beauty with a humble, down-to-earth attitude, Cooling is looking forward to playing the revealing songs on Revolving Door in concert, where she hopes to connect with fans in a more meaningful way. She's already got a few concert dates lined up for the fall with a full itinerary to be announced later.
The New Jersey native is self-taught and she developed her distinctive finger-picking style on her own. After debuting in 1990 with an independently released album, she landed her first No 1 radio single ('South of the Market') in 1997. Reaching her creative stride, Cooling has had several No 1 singles and a handful of Top 10 smooth jazz radio hits. She was voted 'Best New Talent' in a Jazziz Reader's Poll, won the Gibson Guitars Award as 'Best Jazz Guitarist of the Year' and was nominated as 'Smooth Jazz Artist of the Year' by the Gavin Report.
Joyce Cooling's Revolving Door contains the following songs:
'Mildred's Attraction'
'Come And Get It'
'Cool Of The Night'
'Little Sister'
'Revolving Door'
'In Case Of Rain'
'At The Modern'
'Jesse's Bench'
'I'll Always Love You' (Ode to the Audience) 'One Again'
