HOLLIE BAINES

HOLLIE BAINES
After years of recording and performing strictly in jazz
settings, Hollie Baines is finally singing the blues—and
exploring her truest musical heart on A Little Bit Blue,
a unique and eclectic set of standards and pop songs
that allows her to share a deeper side of her rich
artistry and life experience.
The New Jersey based vocalist, who was smitten with the jazz bug
years ago when she heard Sarah Vaughan’s landmark Sassy Swings
Again, has always had a deep affection for blues and R&B. In creating
A Little Bit Blue, Hollie—who released two standards oriented jazz
albums in the 90s—finds freedom in forging connections between
the genres and ultimately fashions the perfect hybrid recording.
The singer worked on the dynamic arrangements of the ten tracks
with her guitarist and musical director Doug Clarke, whom she has
worked with for 18 years.
Hollie’s emotional vocals and lively phrasing are supported brilliantly
by Clarke, longtime bassist Steve Varner, drummer Rudy Petchauer
and Steve Jankowski, Baines’ co-producer who plays flugelhorn on a
soulful, dreamy cover of “Rio De Janeiro Blue” and trumpet on the
hard-swinging “Close Your Eyes”. Most of the saxophone solos and
a lovely flute solo are played by John Simon, while veteran blues
saxman Tommy Labella performs on the torchy blues driven opening
track “Someone To Love”, “Soft Winds” and “Rio De Janeiro Blue”.
To some degree or another, the songs Hollie selected for A Little
Bit Blue—from Fletcher Henderson’s “Soft Winds” and Suzanne
Vega’s “Caramel” to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Meditation” and
Abbey Lincoln’s “Throw It Away”— unfold nuanced and subtle blue
feelings about love. Taking a
more personal angle on the
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blues, she chose Joe Sample’s
AND LISTEN:
“Soul Shadows” (which was
Rio
De
Janeiro
Blue
also recorded by Bill Withers with Sample’s group The Crusaders) as
Caramel
a tribute to the “shadows” of the blues and jazz artists and musicians
Soul Shadows
whom she feels are echoing through her as she sings.
“A Little Bit Blue is my chance to let those shadows show, and I really
enjoyed the collaborations with all of these wonderful musicians,” says
Hollie. “I have been through many emotional changes in my life over the past ten years and in the process
have learned to stand on my own two feet and not to rely solely on the opinions of others to define me. I
had developed a reputation as a singer of classic jazz and was very comfortable there—but rarely gave myself
an opportunity to show more of who I really am. This material and the approach I take to it with this great
ensemble is a manifestation of where I have come to in my life.”
www.holliebaines.com
ON STAGE
In 1994, Hollie assembled her first band Hollie Baines & Sauce, so named
because the personnel would fluctuate from gig to gig. This ensemble,
like the many she has worked with since, was dedicated to modern and
energetic interpretations of classic and contemporary jazz and blues
standards. Based in Little Silver, New Jersey (not far from Red Bank,
hometown of Count Basie), Hollie has spent many years on the East
Coast providing entertainment for private parties, weddings, corporate
functions, political affairs, holiday parties and special events. Over the
years, she has performed at The Rumson Country Club in Rumson NJ,
the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia, and regularly at restaurants and clubs,
including: Metropolitan Café in Freehold NJ, Lambertville Station in
Lambertville NJ, The Downtown Café in Red Bank NJ and Downtime in
NYC. Hollie has also been a featured performer at the Jazz in the Park
summer series along Navesink River in Red Bank NY.
NOTABLE
LIVE PERFORMANCES
NBA All Star Game
Mayor’s Opening Cocktail Party
Philadelphia, PA
Jazz In The Park
Red Bank, NJ
Two River Food & Wine Tasting
Long Branch, NJ
Miller, Alfano, Raspanti
Anniversay Celebration
Ritz Carlton, Philadelphia, PA
www.holliebaines.com
1. Please Send Me Someone to Love
ssible because of
(Mayfield)
Guitar - Doug Clarke
Bass - Steve Varner
Drums - Rudy Petchauer
Alto Saxophone - Tommy Labella
onships that have
d me over the last
ts own ingredient
with me whether
to you all for the
d knowledge, and
ne is for all of you
ing.
wood Productions
(A.C. Jobim, Mendonca, Gimbel)
Guitar - Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
3. Soft Winds
(Henderson, Royal, Alfred)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
Alto Saxophone – Tommy Labella
(S. Vega)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
5. Soul Shadows
(Sample, Jennings)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
Alto Saxophone – John Simon
Trumpet – Steve Jankowski
,
ment
BLUE
om
(Dameron, Sigman)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
8. Rio de Janeiro Blue
(Torrance, Haeny)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
Alto Saxophone – Tommy Labella
Flugelhorn – Steve Jankowski
9. Close Your Eyes
(S. Earle)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
Alto Saxophone – John Simon
10. Throw It Away
(A. Lincoln)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
Flute – John Simon
HOLLIE
BAINES
HB001
KAS003
013, All Rights Reserved.
s Prohibited by Federal Law
y license through Harry Fox
BLUEA LITTLE
FUNKY
BIT BLUE
BLUE
4:32
3:46
4:03
3:48
4:20
4:50
4:36
4:40
4:21
5:37
7. If You Could See Me Now
Hollie pulls the listener into her compelling
bluesy heart and soul from the first saxophone
notes of Tommy Labella on the soulful and
emotional, sparsely arranged “Someone To
Love”. Hollie taps into a touch of exotica on the
sweet and wistful, easy swinging romance of
“Meditation”, then allows the wind to whisper
A LITTLE BIT BLUE
love (to her) on the sensual, gently percussive
“Soft Winds”. The singer brings a wistful, bassolite vibe to Suzanne Vega’s “Caramel”, a clever song of longing and obsession
featuring a snappy bass solo by Steve Varner. The heart of A Little Bit Blue
is Joe Sample’s reflective “Soul Shadows”, which Hollie delivers smoothly
and soulfully with a tantalizing, rising horn section and trumpet harmonies.
Hollie has always been transfixed by the performance of “Is You Is Or Is You
Ain’t My Baby” by Anita O’Day at the Newport Jazz Festival, and offers a sly
interpretation opening with simple acoustic bass accompaniment. She calls the
torchy, dreamlike “If You Could See Me Now” the album’s “slow dance song,”
while her balmy take on “Rio De Janeiro Blue” (popularized by Joe Sample and
Randy Crawford) makes for a travelogue with a tinge of sadness. Hollie wraps the
set with the swinging romantic invitation to “Close Your Eyes” and the liberating,
high spirits of “Throw It Away,” a song about freedom and letting the sun shine
through—even after a delightful set of blues.
KEITH
ANDREW
HOLLIE
BAINES
AINES
(Austin, Jordan)
Guitar – Doug Clarke
Bass – Steve Varner
Drums – Rudy Petchauer
Alto Saxophone – John Simon
MUSIC
2. Meditation
4. Caramel
rke
all Township, NJ
6. Is You Is or Is You Ain’t (My Baby)
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AND LISTEN:
Rio De Janeiro Blue
Caramel
Soul Shadows
In Hollie Baines’ older press material, a reviewer named Kelly-Jane Cotter of the Asbury Park Press offers very
understated praise: “Baines has a warm voice that demands attention.” To put it mildly! While she has entertained
thousands putting that warm voice in the service of jazz standards for years, it’s wonderful to see her dig deeper into her
truest musical heart and tap into her love of soul and blues on her triumphant return, A Little Bit Blue. Aside from the
rich emotion of her voice and colorful musical storytelling ability, Hollie is working with exciting veteran musicians whose
names you may not know but whose sound is jazz, swing and blues at its best. Another plus: Rather than choose the same
old standards we have heard a thousand times, Hollie opens us to her world via inspired (and sometimes a bit obscure)
song choices that traverse genres and decades—and which should inspire listeners to research earlier recordings. Haunted
beautifully by those “Soul Shadows,” Hollie delivers a recording worthy of every last one of them.”
—Jonathan Widran
“Hollie Baines, who is based in New Jersey, has sung throughout the East Coast. She has been performing jazz, standards,
blues and contemporary material regularly since the mid-1990s. On her newest release, A Little Bit Blue, she infuses the
blues into a wide variety of material. For this project Ms. Baines is joined by guitarist-musical director Doug Clarke (with
whom she has worked with for 18 years), bassist Steve Varner, drummer Rudy Petchauer, Steve Jankowski on trumpet
and flugelhorn, and either John Simon or Tommy Labella on reeds. The set begins with one of the highpoints, a powerful
version of “Please Send Me Someone To Love” that reveals Hollie Baines to be a real powerhouse, assisted by Labella’s
alto (which recalls Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson). Other highlights of this enjoyable CD include Jobim’s “Meditation”, “Soft
Winds”; Joe Sample’s swinging “Soul Shadows” and Abbey Lincoln’s “Throw It Away”. Hollie Baines puts plenty of
feeling into everything she sings on A Little Bit Blue, and her highly expressive vocals are a joy to hear.”
—Scott Yanow, author of The Jazz Singers, The Great Jazz Guitarists, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76
www.holliebaines.com
from the beginning
Hollie Baines grew up singing in the church choir in rural Minnesota and started
singing jazz when she attended college at SUNY Buffalo, where she sang in the
chamber choir and had classical training. As a young mother, she began making
extra money singing country music at local venues, then got the jazz bug via Sarah
Vaughan’s Sassy Swings Again and recordings by Ramsey Lewis and Dave Brubeck.
While she put her musical pursuits on hold to raise a family for quite a few years,
Hollie felt as though she was saving up songs in her mind as ones she would
eventually record and perform. She began performing regularly in the mid-90s and
has done hundreds of performances in the two decades since. “I loved jazz because of
the spontaneity,” she says. “Unlike in pop music, where you have to perform a certain
song the same way each time, jazz opened me and the musicians I worked with to
fresh ideas with each performance.” She released First Glance, her first recording of
standards, in 1996 and returned in May 1999 with her second album, A Close Call With Love, which featured standards (including
the quirky Jimmy Rowles tune “Peacocks”) and the original title cut, which she co-wrote. In the intervening years between her
early full-length recordings and now, Hollie has recorded various tracks including Michel Legrand’s “Once Upon a Summertime”
and Benny Golson’s “Social Call”.
BOOKINGS:
Hollie Baines
[email protected]
908-202-1888
www.holliebaines.com
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