I've Been Played- Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff

Product Description 2014 collaboration between vocalist/actress Alysha Umphress and Tony-nominated songwriter Jeff Blumenkrantz. I'VE BEEN PLAYED is a collection of Jeff's original jazz songs and arrangements. Alysha currently stars on Broadway as Hildy in the acclaimed revival of ON THE TOWN. Known in the Broadway community for her incredible vocals, this CD marks her debut solo studio recording. Jeff received a Best Score Tony nomination for URBAN COWBOY, the musical. His songs have been recorded by Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Rebecca Luker, Victoria Clark, Megan Mullally and more. As a performer, he most recently starred as 'The Suspects' in the Off-Broadway hit musical, MURDER FOR TWO. Review She's been paying her dues for years now, but it's finally payback time for the sensational Alysha Umphress! And nobody could be happier than her legions of fans who have been singing her praises all along. Never has the phrase, I told you so, seemed so apt or felt so sweet. So why all the fuss? Well, following fast on the heels of her critically acclaimed performance as Hildy the love-starved cabdriver in the scintillating new revival of On The Town, Umphress's sensational new CD I've Been Played: Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz was released on January 6th to fantastic reviews following a sold-out release concert at Birdland on January 5th. They've been friends for years, but the chemistry between Umphress's phenomenal voice and Blumenkrantz's savvy music is truly remarkable. A formidable performer himself, Blumenkrantz has been writing music for years with songs notably appearing on recordings by Audra McDonald, Victoria Clark, Lauren Kennedy and Megan Mullally, to name just a few. Blumenkrantz's songs are carefully crafted gems, complete with tuneful melodies coupled with sensitive and honest lyrics. And in Umphress, he may have found both his definitive muse and his ultimate interpreter. Boasting a brassy, sassy, dramatic-mezzo, Umphress has one of those rare instruments that can conquer any genre of music, though she seems particularly predisposed to music from the 1930's, 40's and 50's. Whether it's a comic ditty about everyone putting in their Two Cents, or a poignant ballad asking the timeless question Why Can t I Kiss You?, or a torch song like I've Been Played that serves as the title track, Umphress shapes the tone and timbre of her vo