New CD

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Release Date: June 4, 2021

Iconic 1960s Songs of Love, Hope & Change, Reimagined

On her 6th album, BACK TO THE GARDEN, Judy recasts classic songs of the 1960s as jazz/pop anthems that are as relevant today as they were over 50 years ago.

BACK TO THE GARDEN is a departure from her previous albums, which featured a mix of standards, contemporary jazz, and reworked modern pop classics. On her new CD, she points her gaze to interpreting iconic pop/rock/folk songs from the 1960s with reimagined arrangements.

According to Judy, “Music is truly a reflection of the times, and the music of the 1960s reflected the turbulence engendered by war, political protests, and the rise of important social movements like feminism and racial justice. Fifty years later, we’re still struggling with those same issues and more. Although the arrangements of these iconic songs are new, I find their message of love, hope and change as timely as ever.”

Back to the Garden breathes fresh life into these songs and gives them a jazz feel with the elegance and sensitivity they deserve… Much should be said about Judy’s sparkling vocals and the shrewd arrangements. Passionate and reverential, Judy never tries to drag these sacred period songs into another space nor does she approach the material with the assumption they need a makeover. Instead, she sings as if she’s of the music and the era, and she takes chances in the right places with a voice that is sufficiently agile and powerful to meet the songs’ challenges on their own terms.

– Marc Myers, JazzWax

Back to the Garden is quite a recording. Judy Wexler—petite in stature, but tremendously talented and agile in artistry–delivers her finest performance and certainly most ambitious album to date. Wexler’s awesome vocal talent, dexterity, and expressive flair lavishly wash across the session.

– All About Jazz

Judy Wexler has selected pop songs from the 1960s, but in her performance steers them skilfully into jazz territory. Wexler’s interpretations are particularly pleasing because she not only turns them into fluid jazz songs, but her crystal-clear diction and subtle phrasing drive home those original messages set out by the lyricists. Thoroughly enjoyable, and especially for those with long memories.

– Jazz Journal UK

Passionate and filled with memorable passages from a solid repertoire, Back to the Garden is a joyful, timeless expression of lyrical depth. Judy Wexler’s sublime voice is confident, assuring and optimistic. It left me wanting more.”

– Roots Music Report

Truly a courageous undertaking… the musical touches that imbue the whole album are brilliant. Revel in the beauty of Wexler’s rich vocals and sensitive accompaniment from Colella’s piano. This performance, as much as any, indicates that these songs, most 50-60 years old, are the next group of standards comprising The Great American Songbook. Give Wexler credit for breathing new life into them and allowing us to hear them so differently.

– Making a Scene

“Back To the Garden is a masterful interpretation of classic songs from the 1960s that advances Judy Wexler to a higher level of vocal/producer expertise currently occupied by such Grammy-winning and nominated contemporaries as jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek, Jane Monheit, and Gretchen Parlato.

– Sounds of Timeless Jazz

News & Events

Wednesday, October 6th

PANGEA

178 2nd Ave @ 12th St., NYC
Res: pangeanyc.com
(212) 995-0900

Jim Ridl, piano; Essiet Essiet, bass; Tim Horner, drums

Friday, October 8th

MAUREEN’S JAZZ CELLAR

2 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY
Res: (845) 535-3143
maureensjazzcellar.com

Jim Ridl, piano; Bill Moring, bass; Tony Jefferson, drums

Saturday, October 9th

THE SIDE DOOR

85 Lyme St., Old Lyme, CT
thesidedoorjazz.com 
TIX: https://bit.ly/SideDoor-Oct9
(860) 434-2600

Jim Ridl, piano; Bill Moring, bass; Tim Horner, drums

There’s a marvelous clarity about Judy Wexler, both in terms of her immaculate phrasing and intonation and in her ability to strip a song, any song, to its bare essence, fully capturing its spirit and soul without an ounce of pretense or affectation.

~ Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes

“West Coast jazz vocalist Judy Wexler not only knows her way around a bop tune, fluidly negotiating angular intervals and racing tempos, she knows how to personalize a pop tune, no matter how familiar or faded.

~ Mike Joyce, Washington Post

Judy Wexler is more than a mere singer of songs.  She’s an actress, mood painter, song archaeologist, and vocalist par excellence.

~ Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz

Indie jazz sensation, versatile and sensual vocalist Judy Wexler weaves magic, charm and emotionally resonant grace through an array of exquisitely arranged contemporary songs she dubs “New Jazz Standards.”

~ Jonathan Widran, Music Connection Magazine

You don’t have to look far to hear a true jazz singer. That would be Judy Wexler and she’s someone who’s got the smarts to understand a lyrical phrase and knows how to tell a story. Golden-voiced with spot-on enunciation and a natural loveliness…

~ Nick Bewsey, Icon Magazine

Judy Wexler has carved out a jewel-like niche as a gracefully swinging singer who brings penetrating insight to American Songbook-adjacent material often overlooked by her colleagues…Wexler sounds utterly relaxed while delivering some intricately constructed material. While clearly inspired by less-is-more vocalists like Shirley Horn and Irene Kral, she doesn’t sound anything like either of them. With space for countless joys and woes, Wexler’s heart (and book) can continue to contain multitudes.

–Andrew Gilbert, JazzTimes Magazine

A gorgeous album that says everything about Judy Wexler’s enormous talent. wonderful song choices, smart arrangements, and, most of all, her enveloping voice.”

~ Marc Myers, JazzWax

Ms. Wexler caresses melodies, reaches for the emotional heart of each song, and gives listeners an experience that resonates beyond the recording, settling in one’s own crowded heart.”

~ Richard Kamins, Step Tempest

Past Performances

Montreal Jazz Festival  •  Dubai Jazz Festival  •  Tel Aviv Jazz Festival  •  San Jose Jazz Festival  •  Temecula Valley Int’l Jazz Festival (opened for Mose Allison)  •  The Blue Note, NYC  •  Birdland, NYC •  Jazz at Kitano, NYC  •  Scullers, Boston  •  Jazz Alley, Seattle  •  Blues Alley, Washington, DC  •  Los Angeles County Museum of Art Friday Night Jazz Series (broadcast on KJAZZ-FM)  •  Catalina Bar & Grill, Los Angeles  •  Yoshi’s, SF  •  Bach Dynamite & Dancing, Half Moon Bay  •  Zoellner Performing Arts Center, Bethlehem, PA  •  Nardis Jazz Club, Istanbul  •  Upstairs Jazz Club, Montreal  •  The Cellar, Vancouver  •  Anthology, San Diego  •  Dizzy’s, San Diego  •  Jazz Live at the Saville Theater, San Diego (broadcast live on KSDS)  •  Virginia Arts Festival  •  North Coast Brewing Co., Ft. Bragg  •  Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, Nyack  • The Firefly, Ann Arbor  •  The Sound Room, Oakland  •  SOhO, Santa Barbara