 Summer is in full swing but like so many other people I have not taken a vacation, travelled, performed or enjoyed my usual summer fanfare. My 4th of July was spent at home watching fireworks on TV and burning sparklers in my back yard. While this summer has been so different from all my other summers I have found hope lying in so many hidden aspects of my life. I have hope for the future. I have hope that as an Artist I can tap into this experience and create my best work yet. I have hope and inspiration from my daily surroundings from my garden, nature and family. I have hope due to the innovations and creativity that has risen in all facets of life from this time. My biggest hope is that we can learn from this and treat others with more kindness, respect and love. With some extra time on my hands I have had a renewed interest in history. Looking back through history I’m reminded of the despair and unbearable events humans have suffered throughout the ages through disease, tyrants, incredible cruelty, wars, but also the hope in the human spirit that has allowed survival and renewal. Music continues to provide inspiration, healing, and unification. I continue to write and practice and hope to be able to share with you in the future through performances and new recordings. As tough as this time has been, it has also been a time of hope. I want to close with my latest video “Love Again” from my new Album Stronger Now which embraces this theme Hope and Love. Much love, Carol Silver LiningsDuring April and May “Stronger Now” Single continued to be in the Top 20 Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart and is currently on its 16th week , Top 10 MediaBase for 16 weeks peaking at #1, Top 5 Smooth Jazz Network and Smooth Jazz Global, #2 Groove Jazz and RadioWave the week of May 25th. Many positive personal comments have been made on my UTube Video of Stronger Now as well as increased listeners on Radio Outlets, 75.8K listeners on Spotify for May , Apple Music and others. My Album Stronger Now and Merch is available directly from the Official Store by clicking here. While I haven’t performed during this period due to Lockdowns and postponed events, I have been booked for Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival for the closing weekend October 18 http://jazztrax.com/ , Re-booked for Elkhardt Jazz Festival June 2021, and have other dates soon to be announced. My students have continued to take piano lessons via Facetime. I was able to have a Spring Piano Recital via Zoom. It hasn’t been an easy time but there are some Silver Linings. Several families had relatives all over the world to tune in via Zoom for the Recital which was a new experience for all of us and made the families very happy. On a personal note, I have had some time to catch up with my family, my home and garden, and some friends on Facetime and Zoom. I also have a new puppy named Marigold. She and Zeno have had lots of attention and play all the time. We have enjoyed some walks along the river trail and other outdoor trails. As Summer approaches we’re faced with continuing challenges. I continue to write at home and have several projects I’m working on. Stay safe. Much love, Carol   March 2020 blew in with a whirlwind of anticipation. I performed at The Tin Pan March 5 in Richmond, Virginia with the best Band imaginable, which included Joseph Patrick Moore, Dan Baraszu, Jay Williams, and Art Sherrod. We absolutely killed it on the Stage. Unfortunately it was clouded with the oncoming storm of Coronavirus COVID-19. It was the beginning of the storm overtaking the US and we were very concerned on our travel through the airports. But we had no idea it would be our last show for a while to come. As March is coming to a close I have spent time picking up on projects that I have put on the backburner for a while. One of these is putting to Sheet Music my Piano Pieces for others to learn on the piano. I’ve been working on “Stronger Now” and “Sun’s Out” to start with. My goal is to have all my piano pieces available from my website so please check out my web store from time to time to keep up with the latest available.  I have Performances lined up for the Summer and Fall and I am hopeful that I will be able to Perform at these and we will see a resurgence of Festivals and Live Concerts return in a new healthy environment for all of us.
In the time I have had at home while sheltering in place I’ve spent some time in my Garden pulling weeds and tending to neglected plants. It’s been a time of self-examination and quiet introspection. I’ve explored some ideas for new music and had lots of melodies run through my mind. During this time I have also had great pleasure in seeing “Stronger Now” rise to #1 on MediaBase Smooth A/C, Top 20 on Billboard, Top 10 on Smooth Jazz Top 20, #1 Smoothjazz.com , #3 GrooveJazz Chart, #5 RadioWave Smooth Jazz now we will all emerge “Stronger“ and more resilient at the end of this. Check with your favorite Radio Station for “Stronger Now”. Stay tuned for more upcoming news… Love, Carol  February was a landmark month with the release of my latest album titled, "Stronger Now". In addition, our CD release show at Venkman's in Atlanta was a night to remember. See more below. Love Carol  (Atlanta) - February 9th, 2020 - The incomparable Carol Albert set the stage on fire during her "Stronger Now" album release at Venkman's. Stronger Now released on Cahara Records, January 31, 2020, features all original songs written and arranged by the prolific composer and pianist. The 10 track collection is a follow up to her 2017 breakthrough album Fly Away Butterfly. The evening featured a live band with and opening act by Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Konner Scott and Flutist, Vocalist and Songwriter Ragan Whiteside. In fact, Stronger Now includes the Brazilian flavored "Femme Flight," which hit #4 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart. Produced by Carol, mixed by two-time Grammy-winning hit-maker Paul Brown and featuring flutist Ragan Whiteside and saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova, the track also earned Albert a new legion of fans via airplay on SiriusXM's Watercolors. Carol Albert received a standing ovation from over 100+ fans in attendance, including WCLK program director David Linton and a host of media representatives and family members.  Follow Carol on Spotify Late Summer has proved to be a time of celebration and completion. I celebrated my birthday in August with friends on a Girl’s Trip to Rosemary Beach, Fla. It was a much needed time to catch up with my friends after a very busy season of performing and working on my new Album. August/September also heralded “Sun’s Out” Single to the Top Smooth Jazz Charts with current status on Billboard at #14, Smooth Jazz Top 20 #5, Radiowave #3, Groove Jazz Music #4, MediaBase # 17, and Smooth Jazz .com #26. I had the honor of Recording at Orange Peel Studios with Lil John Roberts who added drum tracks, Sam Sims and Joseph Patrick Moore added bass tracks, Paul Brown and Dan Baraszu added guitar tracks and engineered by Raheem Amlani. I went to Silent Sound Studios in Atlanta to work with TK Kidd on the legendary Yamaha C7 for piano tracks. While Paul Brown was in town I also sat in with his band at Suite Lounge Jazz Series in Atlanta and played some keys. I am finishing up the last track for the Album with Lew Laing in California. I was also honored to participate in the WCLK Fundraising Event Sept 25 and joined other celebrities at the Festivities. Stay tuned for more news on the new Album release Date and Events.  July has flown by with lots of happenings. “Sun’s Out”, my new Smooth Jazz Radio Single, was Released the Week of July 8. It was the #1 Most Added the 1st week and Most Increased Plays for the past two weeks. The response from “Sun’s Out” has been very positive. “Her latest single, “Sun’s Out” will give you a vision of an exotic beach with that perfect coastal breeze. Yes, I’ll have a Pina Colada!”...Brenda Lorenzo, Beat Atlanta Online Magazine I also decided to take a little detour on the way to my scheduled performance in Waterbury, Connecticut July 6 at the Brass City Jazz Fest through New York City for a few days. It was a great experience to take a Ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on the 4th of July and see Fireworks off the Harbor of the Hudson River. I also went to the Empire State Building, One World Trace Center, walked through Central Park and saw “The Lion King” Broadway Play. It was great to walk everywhere to offset all the fabulous food. New York City never disappoints with sights and Events.
 It was also announced that “FEMME FLIGHT” received an Official HMMA Award in the Jazz Division, 2019. The finals will be announced in November, 2019 in none other than Hollywood, California.  The Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy held its Summer Celebration Meet and Greet. It was great hearing some new music Performances and running into so many Professional music friends.
My new 5 month old puppy, Zeno, continues to get bigger every day and he is absolutely adorable. July 2019 - wow! Carol Albert May/April 2019 WOW!! What a whirlwind spring it’s been. April flew by too quickly. The April 12 show in Las Vegas at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center was a huge success. I had a stellar band with Ragan Whiteside as guest Artist, Joseph Patrick Moore, Chris Harris, Carlos Mata-Alvarez, and Wayne Viar. We had a Standing Ovation and cheers for more at the conclusion of the show. While I was in Las Vegas Ragan and I visited and conducted an Interview with KUNV Radio Station in Las Vegas with Kim Linzy and Steve Edwards. We had a great time meeting the staff at the Station and sharing some laughter. It was also great seeing my friend Myron Martin, Founder of the Smith Center, at my show (read more about it here). I came back to Atlanta and started on my City Winery Show for May 9. It was great fun having Justin Rogers shoot some video and seeing some of my old friends at the Show. I debuted some of my new songs during the show as well as played some of my older songs. It was great to see such a positive reception of my new material. I continue to perform at Chateau Elan on weekends that I’m not travelling and work on my new recordings. I’m also looking forward to my upcoming show at Jazz in the Park June 9 at Birmingham, Alabama and Brass City Jazz Fest July 6 in Waterbury Connecticut. If you live in one of those areas drop by and make sure you say hello to me.  February has been a whirlwind month full of rewards and challenges. I went to California February 8 and performed at the El Portal Theatre with Dale Edwards on Congas, Vito Gregoli on Guitar, and Brian Sargent on shakers. It was great fun to perform a new composition “Sun’s Out” which will go on my new Album, 2019, in such a beautiful theatre and a grand piano. I recorded with Producer, Paul Brown while I was in California as well. We worked on my new track “I Am Fine” which will also be included in my new Album. Roberto Vally played bass and I cut vocals and acoustic piano to the tracks I had previously recorded in Georgia in my home studio.  I was fortunate to get tickets to the Grammys 2019 and was accompanied by Paul Brown. It was a great experience seeing some of my IndieCollab friends and colleagues receive Grammys this year. I ran into a lot of musician friends while I was there and it was great to catch up. The excitement, the experience, and the music was one for the record book.  My new single “Femme Flight” has taken off since January and reached Top 10 status and as of today, it is #9 on Billboard, #9 MediaBase USA, #9 Smooth Jazz Top 20. It’s rewarding to have such a great reception for the Track which features Ragan Whiteside, Magdalena Chovancova with players Nathaniel Kearney, Jay Williams, Curtis McCain and mixed by Paul Brown.  As February closes I am challenged to write and record new material for my Album which is starting to come together. My Las Vegas Show is coming up April 12 at the Smith Center, and I’ve added Ragan Whiteside as a Guest Artist with bandmates Joseph Patrick Moore, Chris Harris, and Wayne Viar. And in between it all I’m “doing life“ with my family in Atlanta.
Well, That’s all for now . Stay tuned for more to come …. Carol Albert  As we transition into a New Year, I wanted to find a way to share personal stories from the studio, the road and more... This page is intended for my personal "blog" posts directly from me. Much Love - Carol Albert
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