ABOUT GRETCHEN:
Performing in the Washington, DC area since the late-1980s, and in California before that, Gretchen began her professional career at age 14 singing in a rock group. This led to song-writing, solo performing, and musical theater. In theater she reconnected with the music of her childhood years - the great popular standard. Made famous by such greats as Nat King Cole, Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney, this is the music she performs today. Forgoing the usual vocal inflections of be-bop or pop, she brings a fresh, understated and authentic presence to her material.
ABOUT THE CD:
Released in 2001, Close Your Eyes has received an enthusiastic reception. The recording features relaxed, polished arrangements and Gretchen's warm, melodic voice. Her deeply personal interpretations find the heart in this collection of swinging and romantic tunes.
REVIEWS:
"Gretchen Richie brings the full force of her considerable talent and intelligence to her vocals; her voice can be velvet or brass, a whisper or a lament, depending on the mood of the song."
-Pat Ullberg, The Calvert Recorder, April 2003
REVIEW BY MIKE JOYCE FOR THE WASHINGTON POST:
"When it comes to selling a song, Gretchen Richie isn't the sort of vocalist who goes all out. The title of one of the many vintage pop standards included on her latest CD pretty much sums up the tone of her sales pitch: "Nice'n'Easy".
Quietly carving out a niche between cabaret and jazz, Richie sounds perfectly content to let a composer's work speak for itself. Her interpretations are free of glib embellishments or melismatic flourishes, and the inclusion of some seldom heard verses further underscore Richie's intention to give songwriters their due. She's joined by three like-minded musicians-pianist (and husband) Randy Richie, bassist Bill Hones, and drummer Howard Kadison-who tunefully commute between uncluttered swing ("Let's Fall in Love" and "Close Your Eyes") and dreamy balladry ("You Go to My Head" and "Fools Rush In"). In between these stops, Richie and company pause to conjure darker moods with soulful reprises of "But Not for Me", "In the Wee Small Hours" and "Nobody's Heart," each rendered, again, without fuss or muss.
It's not hard to imagine Richie performing these songs for a clucking brunch crowd and nearly silencing the room with her unforced delivery and first-rate repertoire. No doubt many listeners will be reminded of more distinctive and artful interpretations as Richie moves through her songbook, but no matter. These recitals have a charm of their own."
-Mike Joyce, The Washington Post, July 2002
"Gretchen really knows how to sing a torch song and she can really swing as well. She had the audience in the palm of her hand. One word described her performance: sublime."
-Fred Suss, V.P. Entertainment, P.G.I., February 2002
"Gretchen is different and refreshing..."
-Jamal Muhammad, WPFW-FM, February 2002
"What this great band is doing, guided by Gretchen's beautiful voice, is preserving for all of us some of the greatest songs ever written, and for that we should all be thankful."
-Constance McGillicutty, Music Monthly, January 2002
"Her CD is absolutely marvelous. After I played it on the air several listeners called asking, 'Who is THAT?' Makes for some wonderful listening. I'll play her again...and again!"
-Donnie McKethan, WPFW-FM, December 2001
"Gretchen demonstrates wide vocal range, sauciness and proves her ability to conquer difficult songs... Her voice is sweet, clear and unpretentious...(she) sings as if she is experiencing every word."
-Diane Gibbs, Old Town Crier, December 2001
"Gretchen's heartfelt evocation of the Great American Songbook instantly transports one to that place where Gershwin and Porter set the agenda, and everything is love and lush and let's face the music and dance. She enthralled the crowded room."
-Dave Nuttycombe, WashingtonCityPaper.com, November 2001
"Gretchen Richie has a sweet loving voice...Good stuff all around so kick back and enjoy yourself."
-Larry Wollin, Music Monthly, August 2001
"Richie's sense of phrasing, polished arrangements and personal interpretation reestablishes the romance, excitement and heart of popular song."
-The Enterprise, March 23, 2001
"(Gretchen's) unaffected manner gives listeners the feeling she is singing to them and them alone."
-Jay Friess, The Enterprise, Dec. 22, 2000
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