Album Notes

Imagine: Lounging in a smokey cabaret in Munich . . . wandering along the banks of the Seine . . . dancing with abandon on a Brazilian beach . . . these are just a few of the moods the Vagabond Orchestra creates for the listener. This orchestra is a Seattle-based ensemble that plays "world cabaret." What is "world cabaret" you say? It is a mixture of world idioms spiced in a theatrical tradition. If Edith Piaf went to Cuba in the 1920s and sang a bolero, or if Ella went to Paris to sing cabaret, well, they would be two excellent examples of the orchestra. Vocalist/lyricist Anna Witte wrote in five languages for this album. Raised in Europe, Anna sings in French, German, English, Spanish and Brazilian-Portuguese. Her lyric and distinctive-vocal style helps create that true international flavor. Anna's coconspirator, the other half of this writing team, is the founder of Vagabond Orchestra, composer/guitarist D. Ashley Baker, who started this back in 1997. Ashley has composed for dance, film and theatre and was commissioned by the Portland Art Museum to create music for the Monet exhibition. At present he is working on a video of the title track "Little Horses."