Album Notes

Janet MacEwen' s CD: BACK WHERE I BELONG was nominated in 3 categories in the 2010 Music PEI Awards:
1. Female Vocalist of the Year
2. New Artist of the Year
3. Jazz Recording of the Year
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August 2009 - BACK WHERE I BELONG won a People's Choice TWISI Award for: Outstanding Achievement on a CD by a Female Theatre Artist
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Janet's song "I've Never Really Known You" from BACK WHERE I BELONG received Honourable Mention in the Performance category of the 2009, 12th Anuual Unisong International Songwriting Contest.
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BACK WHERE I BELONG - CD Review:
Doug Gallant @ The Guardian newspaper PEI (Aug.16/08)

"…For the past 3 seasons Janet MacEwen has endeared herself to audiences with her performances as Marilla Cuthbert in "Anne of Green Gables". But offstage the Nova Scotia native has been building a reputation for herself as a singer with serious chops and a repertoire that would leave some ladies of Avonlea flapping their fans and clutching their hearts. BACK WHERE I BELONG, MacEwen's debut CD, will, I suggest, take many by surprise. There are several reasons for that, not the least of which are the album's production values. Unlike most first records which sound a little rough around the edges BACK WHERE I BELONG is very much a polished effort, owing in part to the fact MacEwen enlisted the services of a friend and sometimes collaborator with serious credentials to produce the album, Alfie Zappacosta. And Zappacosta's contribution to the album did not end there. He played and sang on the record and contributed 6 songs to the mix which he either wrote or co-wrote, including three of the record's finest tracks, "Here For You", "Hills of San Sebastian" and "The Dance Is Over". MacEwen herself penned two songs for the album, "Last Christmas Wish" and what is perhaps the album's best track, the bittersweet "I've Never Really Known You". The remaining material came from a variety of sources, most notably Joni Mitchell, whose "Blue" is served well by an arrangement that features only MacEwen's voice and the sound of waves breaking against the shore. MacEwen chose her material very well. There isn't anything here that doesn't suit her voice. Then again, with her voice there isn't a lot of material that's out of reach. The arrangements are gorgeous and the sidemen she used here are all first call players, keyboard player Silvio Pupo, drummer Blake Manning, B3 player Dennis Keldie, accordion player Claudio Vena and bass player Russ Boswell… Prime cuts on this set include "Oz", "I've Never Really Known You", Blue", "Here For You" and "It's All Alright".
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The making of BACK WHERE I BELONG:

Canadian Musical Theatre leading lady, Janet MacEwen, recorded her debut cross-over CD "Back Where I Belong" in studios in Toronto Ontario, Halifax Nova Scotia and Edmonton Alberta. Juno Award and American Music Award winning singer/song writer Alfie Zappacosta music produced this gorgeous, romantic CD. Zappacosta brought some of the best session players in Canada together to play on this AC/smooth jazz cross-over album, including: Silvio Pupo on keys, Russ Boswell on bass, Blake Manning on drums, Claudio Vena on viola and accordian, Dennis Keldie on Hammond B3 and AZ himself on guitar. BACK WHERE I BELONG features 3 new releases from song writer Zappacosta: "Here For You", "Eden" and "Oz", as well as covers of Zappacosta's "Hills of San Sebastian", "Next To You" and "The Dance Is Over". "Something I Thought I'd Never Do" was co-written by NYC composers Judy Barron and Jeffrey D. Harris, while Canadian born Lisa-Catherine Cohen with co-writer David Pomeranz contributed the new release, "It's All Alright". This mostly Canadian content CD includes Janet's haunting arrangement of Joni Mitchell's "Blue", and "Please Leave Me Love" by Canadian musical theatre writer David Warrack, as well as two songs written by vocalist Janet MacEwen.
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Back Where I Belong - CD Release January 16, 2009
Statler's Lounge, Toronto, Canada

Janet was accompanied by 3 time Canadian Jazz Pianist of the Year award winner Dave Restivo on piano, and well known bassist Russ Boswell.

Brent Bambury - popular host of CBC Radio's "GO" had this to say:

"When Janet sings she owns the song, she takes you inside. You can't keep your eyes off her and that voice stays with you and brings you back again and again. The voice, the emotion, the arrangements.... it's all right there. Janet is a force ... loved loved loved seeing [Janet], oh my God! SO GREAT!"

George Evans - booking agent/award winning jazz singer:

"I am so impressed with Janet's musicianship, with her grace and intellect and with her [considerable] poise on stage... She is a stunning vocalist and truly a musical find..."

Liz Tansey - Toronto based singer and award winning songwriter:

... Janet MacEwen had the crowd in the palm of her hand from the sweet and strong opening notes of the first song to the last. This was an evening of great songs sung by a polished performer with gorgeous accompaniment - Beautiful!..."

Michele Mele - Toronto based singer/song writer:

" ... Spell binding performance!"
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NEW! Janet is collaborating with music producer/singer/songwriterAlfie Zappacosta on their concert/cabaret "CabaRomantico" in 2010.
For more information Go to: www.cabaromantico.com
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For complete BIOGRAPHY: Go to: www.janetmacewen.com
For more MUSIC: Go to: www.janetmacewen.com
To see VIDEO clips: Go to: www.janetmacewen.com
To see VIDEOS of CD release: Go to: www.youtube.com/janetmacewen