Jeudi Cornejo Brealey (Film/Video, Theater MFA 95) writes, “When I released my Winter Was Warm CD, I was curating songs for an EP follow-up, but my research led me to such a trove of well-written, frequently forgotten Jazz Age-era songs, that what developed were two distinct song cycles. Over the course of five years, 32 songs were recorded—many which feature CalArtians Yvette Holzwarth on violin and Dan González on clarinet (both Music 16). By last winter, these were mastered and ready to usher in the new roaring ‘20s, but cancer and the pandemic had other ideas. Thankfully, I’m now cancer-free, loving life, and in the position of having a sizable body of work to share. There’ve been some pivots deciding how to best serve the audience and the material (which will eventually include a historical fiction and a stage production) but, not wanting to delay, I launched the first song cycle, Love Outshines the Moon, in late June as a monthly single series. Along with my husband, Paul Hemstreet (Interschool MFA 92), we’ve begun producing music videos about every eight weeks through our company, Home And Yonder. Many of these obscure tunes feel familiar, even if they’ve been collecting dust for almost a 100 years. Here they’re given a modern vintage nouveau perspective, yet they’re rooted in this past era of strife and hardship, so the music has a relevance and a transcendent quality. These songs are swinging and sentimental, written between the 1920s and the 1940s to give hope, comfort and joy during challenging times, which speaks to the resilience of our forebears. I’m a hopeful romantic, and that shines through in this collection. This is music that transports you. Every song is a story and touchstone. Care to time-travel with me?” Website (link).
https://Jeudi.biz
https://jeudi.bandcamp.com/