Donna Lewis |

Platinum Singer-Songwriter Reimagines Her Own Material and Songs by David Bowie, Neil Young, Damian Rice, Gnarls Barkley, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chocolate Genius,Burt Bacharach and Harry Nilsson

Donna Lewis will be performing at The Falcon in Marlboro, New York on March 26 and
at Turning Point in Piermont, New York on March 27

The Welsh-born singer Donna Lewis is one of those rare artists whose immense success on the pop radio charts disguises an exceptional and serious musicianship and breadth of repertoire. Lewis’ new album, Brand New Day, reveals the range of her artistry, and may surprise listeners who know her only for her pop hits “I Love You Always Forever,” “At The Beginning,” “I Could Be The One” and “Love Him.” Produced and arranged by Lewis’ longtime friend David Torn, the genre-busting composer and producer, Brand New Day is an intoxicating set of jazz-inflected covers and Lewis originals in which she is joined by the eminent progressive jazz musicians Ethan Iverson (piano), Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums). Palmetto releases the album March 10, 2015.

With her distinctive, breathy voice and unique phrasing, Lewis brings a fresh immediacy to the covers on Brand New Day, including David Bowie‘s infrequently heard “Bring Me the Disco King,” Neil Young‘s “Helpless,” Damien Rice‘s “Amie,” and Chocolate Genius‘ “My Mom,” among others. The album also features two new Lewis originals, “Sleep” and “Brand New Day,” as well as a powerful remake of “I Love You Always Forever.”

For an artist used to the do-and-do-again perfectionism of pop music recording sessions, returning to the improvisational nature of jazz was an exciting prospect. It took nerve for Lewis to take on songs so deeply etched in the pop consciousness in such a stripped-down setting, but she recorded most of them in a single take. As a result, the record has live, organic, nearly ambient feel.

“I Love You Always Forever” was such a hit for Lewis that, for many listeners, it will always be the thing for which she is remembered. Atlantic Records Chairman Doug Morris had been so enamored with the demo for that song that he flew Lewis to New York to meet him and perform her material, and offered her a deal on the spot. It became the first song ever to get a million spins on American radio and the third best-selling song in the history of Atlantic Records. The record also was an international sensation, topping charts all over the world. Lewis’ second album for the label, Blue Planet (1998), spawned two hits: “Love Him,” which topped the Billboard Dance charts, and “I Could Be the One.”

She soon began to reveal other dimensions of her creativity. While on hiatus to start a family, she left her mark on such projects as The Art of Noise’s The Seduction of Claude Debussy. She began her longtime collaboration with David Torn, a guitarist and studio wizard known for his film scores including Friday Night Lights, The Order and Lars and the Real Girl, as well as for his work with rock legends such as David Bowie and Jeff Beck. In 2001, five electronically textured songs Torn and Lewis wrote and recorded for the Chute project were among the most requested on Los Angeles’ KCRW for three weeks running. She released the acoustic Be Still in 2002 and the high-energy In the Pink in 2008.

Still, the aptly titled Brand New Day is both a striking departure from anything she has done before, and the fullest realization of qualities that have always set her apart. As Time Out NY said before a recent NYC performance, “If you really listened past the earworm chorus and bubbly beat of Lewis’s debut hits, you quickly sensed that she was no flash in the pan. The classically trained…Lewis had a breathy coo that could recall Kate Bush, and used it with a flexibility that few pop princesses could muster.”

Donna Lewis – Brand New Day

Sleep
Bring Me The Disco King
Crazy
Waters of March
Brand New Day
Everybody’s Talkin’ At Me
Helpless
Amie
I Love You Always Forever
Walk On By
My Mom

Social Media Handles

Website: donnalewis.com
Twitter: @donna__lewis
Facebook: facebook.com/DonnaLewisMusic
Instagram: @donnalewismusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDonnaLewisChannel

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @thepromotionpeople

Back by popular demand for a sixth year, Kiran Ramgotra Sancious shares her family’s coveted secret recipes to the Omega Institute located in Rhinebeck, New York on June 28 – 30th, 2013. The scent of freshly ground spices and complex curries perfumes the air in Omega’s cooking classroom during Kiran’s weekend workshop on northern Indian home cooking.

Kiran joins other outstanding teachers including President Bill Clinton, Pema Chodron, Bobby Mcferrin, and many other outstanding teachers at Omega’s Lifelong Learning series this summer. Omega Institute is co-founded by Elizabeth Lesser, a frequent guest and contributor on Oprah. Located in beautiful Rhinebeck, New York, Omega offers workshops, trainings, retreats, conferences and vacations.

Kiran moved from Vancouver, British Columbia to Woodstock, in upstate New York, when she met and then married famed musician David Sancious. David is touring this year with Sting and Peter Gabriel and has also played with Seal, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, and was in the original Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. The world renowned musician couldn’t stop raving about Kiran’s famous cooking, and as the word spread, so did Kiran’s Indian cooking classes. She has shared her cooking techniques with celebrities including Uma Thurman, Jane Curtin, Donna Lewis, and Kate Pearson from the B52’s.

Kiran grew up in a family of cooks who celebrated their Indian heritage with culinary secrets handed down for generations. On a typical Sunday, there would be 20 women in the kitchen preparing food for up to 100 guests. Kiran’s mother began teaching her to cook when she was just seven years old, and now Kiran teaches her family’s unique and delicious recipes to private clients and small groups of people in their own kitchens throughout Canada and the United States. Kiran is currently writing her first cookbook. Visit: kiransindiankitchen.com for more information.

At Omega through hands-on learning, cooking demonstrations, and tasting, Kiran shares her family’s culinary secrets as students learn to prepare delicious, healing, healthy vegetarian meals and how to modify traditional dishes to meet specific dietary needs. She explore ways to cook with unique spice combinations while preparing dals; curries; parantha, roti, and naan breads; Indian desserts; lassi; and masala chai.

Though the flavors and procedures are typically intricate, Kiran teaches a process that simplifies Indian home cooking, making it accessible to everyone. The workshop is open to all. You will return home with delicious food, recipes, and the confidence to cook Indian food on your own.

Social Media Handles

Website: kiransindiankitchen.com
Twitter: @DavidSancious

Contact The Promotion People

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People
Instagram: @promotion.people

Tag Archives: Donna Lewis

DONNA LEWIS RETURNS WITH BRAND NEW DAY, FEATURING DAVID KING, REID ANDERSON AND ETHAN IVERSON

Kiran Ramgotra Sancious returns to teach her Indian Home Cooking Classes on June 28 – 30th, 2013 at World Renowned Omega Institute