Samantha Sidley‘s 2019 debut album Interior Person, recorded in her childhood bedroom by her wife Barbara Gruska and featuring intimate songs penned for Sidley by Gruska, Inara George, and Alex Lilly, put the Los Angeles-born chanteuse on the map. The Los Angeles Times called it “a sweet, funny, tastefully arranged vocal-jazz disc about same-sex romance” and named it among the top ten albums of 2019, LA Weekly called Sidley “witty and melodically engaging,” and Grimy Goods praised her for “serving anthemic lyrical content for an evolving culture.” Since then, Sidley has served up several choice covers, including a version of Ry Cooder‘s “Drive Like You Never Been Hurt;” a take on “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” from The Wizard of Oz; and a stunning Swedish-language rendition of “Waltz For Debbie” in the recent Amazon Original Movie Sylvie’s Love.
Now, she brings us her update on “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes,” from the Disney classic Cinderella. “I’ve always had a fascination with Disney,” she says. “Especially the older classics… [and] Cinderella has always been my favorite. I love the music, I love the characters – villains and all – and frankly, I love a happy ending! The music always rescued me from sadness. I was a sad kid. The music makes you feel alive because it is so alive with hope and wonder. I arranged the song so it would feel trippy and retro – like an atomic aged dream. It’s one of my favorite songs to sing.”
“Haunting, sensual.” –JAZZIZ
“An exciting, emerging voice.” –Popmatters
““A voice that’s typically reserved for a cabaret chanteuse or Disney princess.” – Los Angeleno
RIYL: Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, Ilene Woods, Ella Fitzgerald, The Bird And The Bee, Ingrid Michaelson, Madeleine Peyroux, Cinderella
FCC Clean
Label: Release Me Records
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