Album Notes

Monday Off is an exciting addition to the world of vocal jazz. The groups’ members - Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, Richard Roland, Raymond Sage – successfully combine the sounds of the vocal groups of the big-band era with contemporary harmonies, exploring everything from standards to not-so standards to vocalese to adapting tunes from musical theatre to their harmonic styles. This long awaited follow-up to their debut album showcases songs from the broadway stage, Vocalese with original lyrics and jazz favorites. The CD features Monday Off with Dan Kaufman on piano, David Wong on bass, Ernesto Cervini on drums with guest artists Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Anat Cohen on clarinet and Avishai Cohen on trumpet and was produced by Oded Lev-Ari.

The group’s members have strong backgrounds in musical theatre and have derived the name of the group from theatre’s traditional night off: Monday. In fact, two of the members met and founded Monday Off while touring together in the Broadway musical Titanic. The combined theatrical experience of the group is vast, culminating in more than a dozen Broadway and off-Broadway productions, National Tours, original cast recordings, television commercials and soap operas.

Monday Off has become a regular fixture on the New York City club scene in addition to their performances in larger concert halls across the country including Carnegie Hall with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops. A complete orchestral set as well as various sets for different concert and club appearances are available. Monday Off recently made their television debut on ABC World News Now performing Christmas tunes from their debut album with Bucky Pizzarelli that was released in 2001.

“America’s newest fresh Jazz vocal group.”
- Bucky Pizzarelli

“Exquisite taste, rich creativity, fresh ideas, spread over a palate of
standard repertoire, A musical technical delight and a visual pleasure.”
- Skitch Henderson

“...a very fine new vocal group...in the vocal idiom and what a great form it is in performance.”
- Leigh Kamman of Minnesota Public Radio’s “Jazz Image”

“With the arrival of this happy foursome, it looks like it’s time to make room for another successful combination.”
- John Hoglund, Back Stage