Barbara Fasano: Written in the Stars

The soul of Harold Arlen’s songs and jazz are blended in a uniquely compelling way on Written in the Stars, the new CD by vocalist Barbara Fasano. The album boasts a line-up of all-star jazzmen, led by pianist/arranger John di Martino, known for his work with Grady Tate, Freddy Cole, Pat Martino and the late Ray Barretto. The 15 tracks run the gamut from well-known Arlen standards such as “My Shining Hour” and “Come Rain or Come Shine,” to rarer tunes such as “Here’s What I’m Here For,” and “I Had a Love Once.” Vocalist Eric Comstock joins Fasano for a duet on “As Long As I Live.” In celebration of the CD’s launch, Fasano performs at The Metropolitan Room.

On the basis of Fasano’s Arlen show, (“top-notch … melancholy beauty … definitive” – Village Voice) she was invited to make her Carnegie Hall debut as part of Festival Productions’ Harold Arlen Centennial Concert in 2005. Other New York appearances include Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall and Allen Room (as part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series), Birdland, The Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel, Town Hall, Symphony Space, Makor, and Danny’s. Across the country she has earned critical acclaim in concert and nightclub venues such as The Royal Room at The Colony Hotel (Palm Beach), The Sheldon Concert Hall (St. Louis), Kerrytown Concert House (Ann Arbor), The Cinegrill (Los Angeles), and The Prince Music Theatre (Philadelphia).

“With this record, Barbara Fasano proves that she is not just a great Italian crooner, an heir to Sinatra for our time, but a jazz singer of the first rank.”
– David Hajdu, music critic, The New Republic