"Great vocals and stellar musicianship"
Reviewer: "Upper Room with Joe Kelley and Gi Dussault" radio show on WVOF"Céline Berman and the fine cast of musicians on this CD have hit the mark. Céline's voice is to be treasured. Our radio show has made this release a staple. Can't wait to see Céline and her band tour this way."
Artist : Céline Berman
Album : Jazztrack Featuring Céline Berman
Label : Go Do Be Jazztrack
Year : 2001
Review by : John Gilbert
Nothing could be finer than some tunes from Carolina. Canadian born Céline Berman, residing now in North Carolina has assembled a fine cast of musicians to back her exciting (and ultra hip) vocal message."Oleo" Sonny Rollins' bop inspired piece is given added dimension with Berman's rapid fire rendition. This is a great tune presented 'å coup sur' ...Berman is on dead red all the way, making this song get off the ground with ease and style.
Scatting smoothly, Céline's "Lady Is A Tramp" is performed as cooly as a South Beach cocktail (and) a bit of her French accent peeking through makes it even more delightful.) "Isn't It Romantic" is done at a tempo way down and it works beautifully..Pinky Winters comes to mind in Berman's interpretation of this classic standard. Elegance and grace along with clarity of tone give this old chestnut a brand new life. Romance rules the day on this one.
This recording showcases Céline Berman and Jazztrack in all its urbane resplendence...This disc is a pleasant surprise and North Carolina is lucky to have such a swinging vocalist and ensemble in its cultural environment.
Five Stars *****
CD Review - Celine Berman & Jazztrack - "Go-Do-Be"
Reviewer: Sharon Lee Grace
Fantastic vocals and energy, musicians just as accomplished
I am also a jazz vocalist, in the process of stepping out after many years. Ms Berman's timing, vocal ability, diction and tonality is one of great talent. She is in my opinion in the league with Ms Ella, Ms Vaughn, yet she is as original as apple pie, bravo!! I wish her much success. Such a talent should not go un-noticed.
Five Stars *****
Memories of Ella
Celine Berman’s jazz harks back to her idol
NORMAN NIGHTS | By Cathy Swiney
Lake Norman Magazine - April 2006Celine Berman can scat with the best of them.
Strongly inspired by jazz great Ella Fitzgerald, Berman’s satin smooth voice can break into rapid “do-be-do” nonsense syllables with such ease and talent that she has drawn comparisons to her idol.
Versatility is the strong suit for Berman and her band, Jazztrack, which started a decade ago.
Depending on the venue, the Matthews-based vocalist can do everything from being part of a duo, which includes either a keyboard or guitar, to fronting an eight-piece big band that includes an assortment of horns.
“I like to perform for people who enjoy more of the ‘50s jazz,” says Berman, whose husband, Charles, is a bass player. “People have lived through them. I often hear, ‘Oh, I remember my grandmother singing that as a lullaby’ or ‘That was my mom and dad’s wedding song.’”
Originally from Montreal, Canada, where she took music lessons starting at age 5, she moved to North Carolina in 1989. Singing music from jazz to show tunes is her full-time focus.
She enjoys performing songs from greats such as Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme and Billie Holiday. Her 522-song list includes favorites such as “How High the Moon,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “Moonlight in Vermont.” She also performs songs in Portuguese and her native language, French.
“I take elements and make it my own using my own voice timbre and own accent,” she says. “It’s all part of color.”
Charlotte-area audiences are taking notice and showing their appreciation for her clean sound. Last year, readers of Creative Loafing magazine voted her the best local female artist. The year before, she and the band were voted best supper club jazz.
Berman will perform at Splash Food and Wine in Cornelius on April 21 and 26. For more information, contact Berman at (704) 821-7351, or visit the Web site, www.jazztrack.com.
Featured Artist: Jazztrack & Celine Berman
CD Title: Go Do Be
Year: 2001
Record Label: Jazztrack
Style: Jazz VocalsFor a vocalist one of the weighty ingredients to a successful delivery of a specific performance is aspiration. Aspiration to pour ones full spirit and fire into a tune as it bleeds forward and connects with the listener. Thus defining the distinguishing factor between entertainment and mediocrity. Celine Berman embraces this philosophy and delivers that entertainment under her own label (Jazztrack) with her debut project GO-DO-BE. In short, GO-DO-BE is very cool and a pleasure to experience.
Taking from Berlin, Rogers, Kern, Ellington, among other greats, Ms. Berman presents a very pleasurable flavor to these standards. In studio with Ms. Berman are Jon Thornton, Tim Gordon, Matt Yarborough, Ryan Weaver, Charles Berman, and Brian Sullivan. All compliment her style and grace through out the studio recording.
As a bilingual vocalist her rendition of Trenet’s Que Reste T’il de Nos Amours is stunning and delicate. The piano intro filtered with the strings delivers the mood of the piece the way it was meant to be.
We can only hope in the future she produces an original or two. It would be of great interest to see how she takes her talents to the next level.
An enjoyable listen, give it a play or two.....or three!
Karl H. Stober
International freelance columnist and broadcaster
Charlotte Hospitality News - Spring, 2004
Music to Fit the Right MoodCéline Berman & Jazztrack is an exciting and energetic band that provides music for all types of events - whatever the tone or ambience of the occasion. Céline Berman & Jazztrack can provide the perfect entertainment to fit the mood.
Céline, the leader and vocalist of the band, is often asked "Can you provide background music?" And with her resounding "Yes!" comes the invariable comment, "I thought that a band's vocalist demands the spotlight during the whole event," a myth she likes to quickly dispel as to her own band, Jazztrack.
Jazztrack does its homework prior to an event. The band members meet with event coordinators and listen to their expectations. They then draw up a contract in which those expectations are clearly stated and agreed to by both parties. As a result, Jazztrack always knows how to adjust their performance to meet the needs of their audience, whatever the event. Céline Berman & Jazztrack know how to set the perfect mood.
What are the types of events for which Céline Berman & Jazztrack provide background music? Cocktail hours, socials, membership dinners, wine-related events, after-convention gatherings, after-golf tournament socials, team-building events, happy hour / evening socials, and the like. Settings vary from hotel ballrooms and landscaped plazas to country clubs to a variety of halls catering to corporate events, such as inns and estates.
To best ensure availability and a worry-free and totally satisfying experience for you and your guests, please allow as long a lead time as possible when securing Céline Berman & Jazztrack.
When your business, firm or corporation plans an event and wishes to secure one of the best professional live bands in the area, call 704-821-7351 or email jazztrack@hotmail.com
CD Review/Celine Berman/''Go, Do, Be''
''The power of words & the human voice, to evoke emotion which helps us take in our own subjective musical experience.'' A current day philosopher: (ME!!....chuckle, chuckle) said this in trying to rationalize the mellifluous, & pleasing vocalise of one Celine Berman, jazz vocalist extraordinaire.
The all true frequent uncritical acceptance of a descriptive rendering of a song's lyric tends to blind listeners to the true nature of a song. Celine's treatment of her covers ''opens one's eyes'' as it were to the infinite variety of emotional timbre that nature imbues into the human voice. Celine conveys the actual meaning of her music & song by words alone. Isn't this the way it's supposed to be?
George W. Carroll/The Musicians' Ombudsman
CD REVIEW
"Great disc. Nice treatment of classic set."
Reviewer: David McGuirt"Céline Berman & JAZZTRACK deliver a keeper with this recording. The tunes are classic jazz; the treatment is fresh yet respectful of tradition. The musicians are top-notch and the arrangements tasteful. A wonderful voice from which we'll undoubtedly be hearing much, much more. Buy it, play it, enjoy....Go...Do...Be...."
