Laura Ainsworth

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LOCATION: Dallas, TX

GENRE: Female Vocal Jazz, Vintage Music

Similar Artists: Julie London, Rosemary Clooney, Cheryl Bentyne (Manhattan Transfer), Peggy Lee, Sue Raney, Janet Seidel, Nicki Parrott, Mary Cleere Haran

PUBLICIST: XO PUBLICITY / Info@xopublicity.com / 313.290.2744

You ASked For It - Nov 18th (ORDER)

Digital (USA), Mini-LP CD (JaPanese IMPORT)

Liner Notes

You Asked For It

Laura Ainsworth’s Fourth Studio Album

Delivers long-awaited fan requests

in an easygoing jazz jam setting

The All-Request Album Includes

Well Known And Obscure Tracks

With Remarkable New Arrangements

Critics have been generous in praising retro jazz singer Laura Ainsworth’s unique approach to her craft. Eric Harabadian, a regular contributor to DownBeat magazine, puts it this way: “[Ainsworth’s] striking red hair, vivacious retro-like fashion sense and razor-sharp wit combine to create a unique persona, an uncanny trifecta focused on a reconstruction and reworking of the Great American Songbook. She looks and sounds the part, with a seamless delivery derived from the 1940s and 1950s, yet contemporary as well.” He declared her “one of the most talented and entertaining vocalists – of any genre or era – on the music scene today.”

The daughter of noted sax and clarinet player, Bill Ainsworth, who was 17 when he was recruited for Tommy Dorsey’s band, Laura has music in her blood. Her creative partner and musical director, Brian Piper, is also a second-generation musician, and their fathers worked together on bandstands and in recording sessions in Dallas, Texas, where Laura and Brian both grew up.

Although she’s written original tunes, Ainsworth’s mainstays are the standards and forgotten gems of the swing and big band eras, with occasional nods to modern songwriters working in that tradition. When she plays live, she recreates the atmosphere of a mid-1950s cocktail lounge, overlaying it with her own modern approach. “My gowns, opera gloves, long earrings, and of course my hair are part of the vintage nightclub singer look,” she says. “Even when I’m dressed casually and get introduced to someone as a jazz singer, they say, ‘You look like a jazz singer.’”

In a live setting, Ainsworth happily takes requests from the audience. But with live performances on hold for the past couple of years, she’s had to rethink her approach. “Because of the social distancing we’ve been going through, I wanted to make an album that inspired at-home entertaining, like Julie London’s 1960 album Julie at Home. I thought about the jam session I would want to have in my living room, with cocktails and friends chatting, and people calling out to me, ‘Hey, Laura, why don’t you sing “Goldfinger”’?”

You Asked for It brings that vision to life. Laura based the album on requests she received at live shows and via her Facebook and Twitter pages. The 11-song record has a midcentury jazz party feel, with the core band, including Piper on piano, playing together live in the studio, creating a loose, spontaneous atmosphere. The exception is “Over the Rainbow,” which receives an intimate reading with Piper and Ainsworth playing alone.

The set opens with “Cry Me a River,” one of Julie London’s best-known recordings. Piper’s piano, and smoky harmonies by Rodney Booth’s trumpet and Chris McGuire’s sax, introduce Ainsworth’s vocal. She ornaments the melody with long, sustained notes and pointed asides. Midway through, the band kicks up the tempo. Booth and McGuire exchange bop-inspired solos before things settle back down for Ainsworth’s touching finale. “Goldfinger” gets stripped of its over-the-top cinematic flourishes to concentrate on the ominous lyric. It's an understated noir approach, reinventing the song into a warning to other women of a toxic ex, rather than a Bond supervillain. Ainsworth’s cool delivery is supported by Piper’s minimal piano, Young Heo’s restrained bass and soft snare taps from Steve Barnes.

The Kingston Trio recorded “Scotch and Soda” on their eponymous debut album, with a sparse acoustic guitar and bass arrangement. Piper’s arrangement mirrors that minimal approach, with Noel Johnston’s guitar giving the song a classic West Coast Jazz feel. Ainsworth plays with the melody, adding sensual trills and inflections, while Heo’s bass provides the affecting heartbeat.

“Isn’t It Romantic?” is one of several songs that include the often-ignored introductory verses. Ainsworth’s tender performance of the intro blends longing and sadness before slipping into a laid-back Latin/Brazilian groove. Ainsworth brings a subtle passion to “Our Love Is Here to Stay.” Its mid-tempo pulse allows everyone in the band space to turn in impressive solos, ending with Ainsworth gently caressing the tag line.

She’s performed at venues ranging from New York’s famed Metropolitan Room and L.A.’s Whiskey A Go Go, to India and Dubai – and is gaining renown in Japan and South Korea. But at this point, Ainsworth is focused on remaining primarily a studio artist, making select appearances at festivals and larger, high-end venues. “I’m concentrating on recording to build a catalog and create a legacy of great music,” she says. “I already have a number of tracks, chosen for the next album, which will be about time travel. I’m also working with some composer friends of mine to write some new songs in retro styles. I’m thinking of releasing an EP of these all-original songs.”

“My style is close to what I would have been doing, f I’d been recording in the mid-20th Century. I aim for romance, wit, deep emotion, warmth, and great musicianship. I love real melodies, which I don’t take many liberties with, and evocative lyrics. Just as those midcentury recording stars were distinctive, I’d like to think that I am, too. I’m inspired by them, but I don’t try to copy them because nobody can. I’m not trying to fit into a modern-day vintage vocal sound, but to be myself.”

The band on You Asked for It:
Laura Ainsworth, vocals; Brian Piper, piano, arrangements; Rodney Booth, trumpet, flugelhorn; Chris McGuire, tenor saxophone; Noel Johnston, guitar; Young Heo, bass; Steve Barnes, drums