Accentuate The Positive - This Madness Called Love
With James Morrison

I first heard Emma sing with her High School band at Kirrawee in the south of Sydney - she was just sixteen! Her sound, her phrasing, and most of all the feel she had for jazz, knocked me out. How could someone so young sing like that? Over the last five years we have worked together in many different situations and she just sounds better and better.

It was obvious that it was time to record her own album, but with what size group? Emma¹s small group singing is gorgeous and she sings with a big band like she was born to do it. But for the first album of someone so obviously destined to be a big star, we wanted to do something special - we added a string orchestra. I can't recall when an Australian artist was introduced with a full big band and strings - Emma¹s voice deserves no less.

Even with the power of a big band or the lushness of strings, her sound is not diminished - she has that indefinable quality that draws you into a song, she engages the listener and makes it seem as though the song is just for you.

You'll notice amongst all the "big"sounds that one track, "That Old Feeling"was recorded with just bass and one trombone, this is about as minimalist as it gets,

Emma

Catalog Number:
MR 012

Year Released:
2002

Tracks
L.O.V.E
No More Blues
A Little Bit of What You Fancy
How Insensitive
Mr Better
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
Tea for Two
Whenever
If I Should Lose You
My Romance
That Old Feeling
Danny Boy

Personnel:
Emma Pask Vocal
James Morrison
Trumpet, Bass Trumpet,
Trombone, Bass Trombone,
Piano, Tenor Sax,
Conductor

Drums John Morrison,
Guitar Peter Zografakis,
Bass Natalie Morrison (Tks 1,3,5,7,9)
Jonathon Zwartz (Tks 2,4,6,8,10,12)
Phil Stack (Track 11)
Trumpet Paul Panichi, Ralph Pyl, Don Rader, Stewart Kirwan
Trombone Bob McIvor, Ed Wilson, Roy Ferin,
Bass Trombone Colin Philpot
Alto Sax Blaine Whittaker, Trevor Griffin
Tenor Sax Craig Walters, Graham Norris
Baritone Sax Anita Thomas
Piano Kevin Hunt
Percussion Sunil De Silva

Strings
Violins Phillip Hartl (String Leader), Rebecca Daniel, Fiona Ziegler, Emma Hayes, Leone Ziegler, Martin Lass, Nicola Lewis, Petra Davis, Martin Silverton, Wayne Goodwin
Violas Anne-Louise Comerford, Sandro Costantino, Yvette Breen, Valmai Coggins
celli Adrian Wallis, Rachel Valetine, Rosemary Quinn

Engineers
Michael Henshaw (Chief ), John Morrison, James Morrison, Jason Lea, Steve Wilson, Peter Jones, David Hemming at TIGER Studios, Elizabeth O¹Brien

Strings recorded at TIGER Studios
Big Band tracks and vocal at Paradise Studios

not even drums or piano. We wanted you to hear Emma's voice unadorned - as you'll hear, no magic is lost - it's just more intimate.

The musicians chosen for this recording are the finest - many of them band leaders and soloists in their own right. You can imagine the atmosphere in the studio with all that musicianship in the one room - it was electric. And who better to lead the strings than Phillip Hartl, as always his interpretation and subtlety were a privilege to witness.

Apart from myself, the writing for this album was done by four people - Evan Lohning, Judy Bailey, Julian Lee and Ed Wilson - four more creative and talented people you wont find. There isn¹t room here to say how much I respect their abilities, but that¹s not really what it's all about anyway - their music will say it amply.

Well, here it is - the first Emma Pask recording. Unlike so many first albums of today's "stars", this one will not be forgotten in six months when the hype is over. I believe with music like this, people will be talking about it and playing it long after many of the "stars"of even tomorrow are gone.

James Morrison
Stockholm, Sweden
July 1999