This album is a collaboration between three mature artists. Read about each of us below. VOCALIST SHARÓN CLARK The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal Rave about Sharón Clark “You can’t underestimate the transformation of what seems like an ordinary song when an interpreter like Sharón Clark, a Washington-based jazz and soul diva, tears it apart and peers inside . . . Ms. Clark’s sound evokes not [Billie] Holiday but rather a less operatic Sarah Vaughan fused with the more animated side of Shirley Horn, a singer who also liked to take her time. Ms. Clark’s voice is rich, her phrasing unfussy, her jazz embellishments minimal.” -- Stephen Holden, New York Times "The brilliant Sharón Clark . . . knows how to personalize the songs of Motown or the Beatles, no less than if they were by Gershwin or Rodgers, and offers an object lesson in how to revitalize someone else's vintage hit in a such a way that the original artist suddenly becomes the furthest thing from the listener's mind.  . . . her show at the Metro of songs from her AM radio youth is an absolute triumph."  . . . Like [Sarah Vaughan], her natural sound is almost operatic in its richness, but pure jazz in its improvisational sassiness.  But when she brings her remarkable instrument to bear on those pop hits of the post-nuclear age, which she clearly loves, she creates something new and amazing. . . .   All of which begs an additional question:  Why has Sharón Clark been so overlooked, particularly in New York, for all this time?  That is surely going to change." – Will Friedwald, Wall Street Journal ******************** PIANIST, JAMES LEVY A native Washingtonian, pianist and composer James Levy has been active on the DC Metro music scene since the early 80s. He has played in most area Jazz venues and has been heard nationally on NPR’s Jazzset. An Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University’s Department of Music, he started the department’s Friday Noontime Jazz jam session in 1986, which is now the longest running jam session in Washington, DC. For the past 7 years he has also taught in the District of Columbia Public School system.  An active composer, Professor Levy served as Choir Director/Organist at Rockville United Church from 1990 to 2012, presenting several of choral works at the National Cathedral. His “Passion Oratorio” was premiered in May 2012 at the Rockville Civic Center with tenor Thomas Young singing the main role. The Washington Post called his Sci-Fi Rock Opera, “When ET Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Impressive and Catchy,” while the DC Theater Guide awarded the show 5/5 stars and wrote “James Levy has created a bath of aural joy.” An occasional contributor to the world of TV scores, his title music for “To The Moon and Beyond” was heard on most of the nation’s PBS stations.  Levy has performed on a number of commercially released albums, including “Finally,” the debut release of Jazz vocalist extraordinaire Sharón Clark. ******************** VIOLINIST, ROBERT SPATES You're already familiar with violinist Robert Spates since you hear his violin 'round the clock on radio and TV. He's on countless commercials for Food Lion, Walmart and other national clients, and you often hear him in documentaries on National Geographic, Discovery, and the Learning and History Channels. He's even on the Weather Channel. Formally trained by some of the best (he studied with the Guarneri String Quartet on a graduate scholarship, and received personal instruction from Arnold Steinhardt, David Nadien, Ruggiero Ricci, and Aaron Rosand, among others), this Maryland native also enjoys a unique stylistic versatility. He is at home in ancient or modern classical music, jazz, many types of ethnic folk music, rock, R&B, bluegrass or country. In addition to recording work and classical concerts, he is in great demand and performs live with many pop artists including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Barry White, Texas legend Ray Price, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Manheim Steamroller, Christina Aguilera, and Clay Aiken (to name only a few!) In his teens he supported himself by playing bluegrass, and played with a number of legendary artists. His traditional fiddle and mandolin playing is featured prominently on the PBS series The Appalachians, as well as his more formal violin with an orchestra in the score of the award-winning film Paperclips. He appears before the camera in a cameo appearance playing the viola in the Chris Rock/Bernie Mack film Head of State, and in a number of varied roles in the NBC TV series Homicide. He was held over at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, and regularly travels to Ireland and Scotland to play traditional Celtic music in festivals there. Robert Spates is Principal violinist and soloist with the Ama Deus Ensemble and Camerata Ama Deus orchestras in Philadelphia. These ensembles specialize in Baroque and Classical repertoire performed on period instruments. He designs and builds his own high-tech hybrid violins but also plays a 300 year old Baroque violin for his ancient music concerts. Recently he joined the faculty at Maryland's prestigious Landon School, where he spearheads a newly created integrated music and educational program that uses software to hone the skills of young musicians.