Album Notes

"This is the Life" is an imaginative mix of bakery-fresh jazz and vocal standards crafted for those who thirst for the hip and contempo arrangements from the works of America’s greatest songwriters (of the fifteen songs in the collection, no less than ten of them were written by Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees).

To insure that there would finally be a definitive bed and breakfast song, Academy Award songwriter Ray Evans (Livingston & Evans) has graciously stepped in to help bring forth a jewel, A Cozy Bed and Breakfast, an exclusive First Cabin Records release.

Yes, it would seem that the golden era of American song—now with some playful edge--is doubling back for an encore, as evidenced by score upon score of gifted contemporary devotees, some undiscovered as yet, hitting upon and recording the lovely words and music of the likes of Cole Porter, Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Ervin Drake, and others. They’re coming in from other genres and generations, from country music, rock, and pop, to offer tribute to the works of the Great American Songbook.

“This is the Life” even looks like a million bucks, handsomely packaged in premium patented six-panel Digipak® style. With original full color artwork by Key West artist Fran Decker, a 16-page liner-notes booklet, and 15 fabulous tracks, the whole shebang is a remarkable value.

—Barry Kunz
First Cabin Records © 2008