Album Notes

Rachelle Collins's history in jazz began when she sang, "You Are My Sunshine", with her brother's big band at the ripe old age of six years old. From that moment on, she began her long love affair with the pursuit of making music. Born in Billings, Montana, she trained herself early on by singing along with recordings by Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday and her favorite, Ray Charles. She continued throughout her school years, to perform with "BSO", her brother's big band, as well as studying flute and piano, and appearing in high school and community musicals. Although she received a music/drama scholarship to the University of Montana, it couldn't live up to her dreams of studying and working in, "The Big Apple".


Ms. Collins entered the world of music in New York and found herself exploring all the musical avenues available to her, from forming an original band, where she discovered her songwriting abilities, to taking master classes and workshops at Julliard and The New School, to performing in off-Broadway musicals and road companies. Traveling extensively, she took residence for a short time on the west coast where she studied at The Wind School with James Newton and performed along side Michael Feinstein at the legendary Rose Tattoo. Surrounded by the brightest and best in the business, it was during these formative years she worked with Jimmy Rowles, Don Cherry, Mal Waldron, Bob Dorough, Peter Udell, and countless other musicians and songwriters.


Rachelle is currently performing regularly in Manhattan and throughout the tri-state area with various ensembles at several renowned restaurants and clubs. Hand in hand with her live performances, are her creative outlets of writing and recording, as well as teaching an early developmental music program designed for pre-school children.


"WRAP YOU IN MY WINGS", was recorded at KAS studios by Joe Castellon, who has recorded such luminaries as Betty Buckley and Placido Domingo. Accompanied by Joe Cohn on guitar (the son of notable tenor player, Al Cohn) and Neal Miner on bass, they capture the essence of lost romance in the rhythms of a bossa nova, in the title cut, WRAP YOU IN MY WINGS, music and lyrics by Rachelle. They fly through a fast 4 on TIME AFTER TIME and deliver a cool jazz arrangement of I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU. The ballads, WHERE DO YOU START and GOOD MORNING HEARTACHE, feature Rachelle's unique ability to caress each lyric with heartfelt emotion accompanied by Danny Denerstein on piano and Neil Miner on bass.