Album Notes

Cookie is a professional singer/entertainer, and works in the Atlantic City/Philadelphia/New York areas 5 to 7 days per week, singing and performing. She is well-known and loved by thousands of fans here, and internationally, a result of her international independent radio releases from the CD "If My Heart Had My Memory" several years ago. 4 songs from the CD charted on several independent charts, with "That's How You're Killing Me" reaching the coveted # 1!


"MANHATTAN GRITS" is a very special album. The concept of the project, that of blending Country with Jazz, and using traditionally recognized "country instruments" like pedal steel guitar and fiddle in a jazz recording, was born during conversations between legendary jazz historian and DJ OSCAR TREADWELL..."O.T.", www.oscartreadwell.com and his nephew Paul Evans Pedersen, Jr. Recorded at Nashville's MAIN FRAME STUDIO, and DENNY MUSIC GROUP'S "DENNY'S DEN" Studios, "MANHATTAN GRITS" gently but unmistakably mixes traditional Jazz with traditional Country, resulting in a completely original and FRESH sound. The melding of the two genre's becomes so immediately embraced and accepted, one is left to wonder why the two haven't been married before.

"MANHATTAN GRITS" features the finest musicians in Nashville, including the 2007 Grammy-nominated "Time Jumpers" guitarist ANDY REISS. Musicians John Rees, the producer of "MANHATTAN GRITS", along with Dow Tomlin, Chris Hamm, Wes Little, David Russell and John Heinrich all deliver incredibly brilliant performances, as do background singers Ray Barnett and Britney Savage. Engineered and mastered by Nathan Smith and John Rees, "MANHATTAN GRITS" explodes with the crafted and intricate sound recording Nashville is noted for.

"MANHATTAN GRITS" is comprised of ten songs written by songwriting veteran Paul Evans Pedersen, Jr. Paul, a former Staff Writer with Eidetic Music, Nashville, BMI, wrote "Cape Lonely" for Michael Mason, as well as several other independent charting hits for such artists as Paula James, Samantha Berry, Billy Harner, Eddie Thompson, Marty Martel, and Cookie Evans. His songs on "MANHATTAN GRITS" range from the light-hearted swing of "When Love Is Happening To You" to the dark and "out-of-the-box" Rumba of "I Wonder If I Love You Anymore" to the bluesy "Loneliness & Vine".

"MANHATTAN GRITS" is TRUELY a multi-genre, multi-demographic embodiment of music. It appeals immediately to both "New Country" AND Jazz-listening audiences, as well as the ever-growing Americana and Singer/Songwriter genres, and sits quite comfortably with the Traditional Country lovers as well. What's more, it begs to be danced to, not only in the honky-tonks, but in the ballrooms and speak-easy's as well.