The Ostara Project, by The Ostara Project

The Ostara Project

by The Ostara Project

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1.	Delta Sky 04:39	buy track
2.	Storms and Oceans 07:09	buy track
3.	Little One 05:44	buy track
4.	Lluviona 05:59	buy track
5.	Tides Are Turning 05:39	buy track
6.	Bye Bye (bass intro) 01:24	buy track
7.	Bye Bye Blackbird 06:07	buy track
8.	Rise 07:15	buy track

about

The lush arrangements arise from the fruitful collaboration of 7 outstanding artists, each a bandleader & composer in her own right.

For Canadians, the arrival of spring is momentous: the scent of the air is fresh and full of possibility as tender green shoots reach up towards light and warmth. This album embodies the hope of spring—of growth, rebirth and renewal.

It’s an apt theme for a musical collaboration named after Ostara, the Germanic goddess of the spring equinox. This group is the brainchild of co-leaders Amanda Tosoff and Jodi Proznick. The album features lush arrangements that arise from the fruitful collaboration of outstanding Canadian jazz artists who embody the geographic, cultural and ethnic diversity of the Canadian mosaic. Their commitment to play so as to best serve the music allows them to tackle a diversity of musical styles with grace and artistry.

The hope of spring is precious because it rises out of the darkness of winter. Inspired by a day of tempestuous winter rain in Montreal, Rachel Therrien's Lluviona is a tribute to a tragic figure in Mexican folklore, La Llorona, who roams the coastline, mourning her drowned children. Jocelyn Gould's Tides are Turning is the story of a young woman who feels misunderstood by the world, her anguish transformed into art by the improvised guitar solos which represent her prayers. Rise is Sanah Kadoura's powerful anthem about pushing through the darkness of life to a place where the heart is transformed and light and energy form the foundation of a new self-worth. Delta Sky is Allison Au's tribute to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz and a city that has met with devastating challenges but remains a powerful example of how music builds community. And Jodi Proznick's Storms and Oceans is a compelling call to living a new truth, embodied by a woman lying in the moonlight, navigating the turmoil created by the need for change in her life.

Within the struggle to hope are fragile moments of peace. Joanna Majoko delivers resonate and deeply soulful melodic embellishments that glide effortlessly over a spirited groove in her arrangement of Bye Bye Blackbird, infusing this popular standard with a darker and deeper emotional tone. And Little One, with lyrics by Jodi Proznick and music by Amanda Tosoff, is a love song of hope and joy from a mother to her child, infused with the wonder of new life. New growth rising out of the darkness, stretching for new light and life, propelled by hope. This is the music of Ostara.

-Lisa Buck, Calgary, Alberta, June 2022

credits

released November 18, 2022

Musician Listing:
Allison Au-alto saxophone
Jocelyn Gould-guitar
Joanna Majoko-vocals
Jodi Proznick-bass
Rachel Therrien-trumpet
Amanda Tosoff-piano
Sanah Kadoura-drums

Executive Producer: Cory Weeds
Produced by Jodi Proznick and Amanda Tosoff
Recorded at The Warehouse Studios, Vancouver, BC on February 14, 2022
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Sheldon Zaharko
Design and layout bu Perry Chua
Cover Art by Lori Popadiuk

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about

The Ostara Project Vancouver, British Columbia

The JUNO nominated Ostara Project, spear-headed by award-winning jazz musicians Jodi Proznick and Amanda Tosoff, showcases the strength and creativity of Canadian women in jazz. Membership is fluid and what remains constant is that Ostara artists are all top-tier musicians, composers and bandleaders who reflect the geographical, cultural and creative diversity of Canada’s musical landscape. ... more