Award winning songwriter and producer, Jacques Burvick, had this to say about Seeking Billie: The Unusual Tribute to Billie Holiday, the new album by changamiré:
——
An unsung voice finally takes center stage among the vocal heroines dominating the jazz scene —and Changamiré arrives in style.
In Seeking Billie: The Unusual Tribute to Billie Holiday, Changamiré captivates Lady Day’s essence with simplicity, sophistication, and an enormous helping of courage. This isn’t a door that opens easily with talent alone. She’s clearly sought out Billie’s frequency—and locked onto it. You can hear Billie’s soul woven throughout this collection of song-stories. At times, even her vibrato is reminiscent of the master songstress. But make no mistake—this isn’t mimicry. It’s a bold reimagining.
This album is more than a tribute—it’s a courageous conversation with the past. Changamiré is completely at ease channeling Billie, unfazed by where the journey may land her.
The blend of Changamiré’s innovation and Billie’s texture is a pleasant surprise—and flat-out unexpected. This recording feels like the cats are having a blast, traveling through the exotic soundscapes and time periods that Changamiré navigates so effortlessly. The journey touches on multiple musical genres, serving up ear candy even for the most avid straight-ahead fan searching for solid swing.
Adding to the brilliance are legendary jewels, including the incomparable Ron Carter, whose elegant bass lines anchor this project in the sacred soil of jazz legacy. And where better to summon spirits than Van Gelder Studio, the iconic haven founded by legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder? The sound that shaped the golden era of jazz still lives in those walls—and now, it cradles something new.
You can feel the band’s joy. Changamiré and her crew of relentless heat-seekers glide through harmonies and grooves, unafraid to blur borders between eras and styles. Whether intended or not, she has inadvertently created a true masterwork.
And we haven’t even begun to discuss the album cover—reminiscent of a time when covers were museum-worthy works of art, pieces that lived on and increased in value over decades. This is one of them.
This is not nostalgia. It’s reverence reborn.
This is Billie—heard through a new lens, in the hands of a woman brave enough to meet her gaze.
In Seeking Billie, Changamiré has uncovered a rare diamond.
