This I Know – love, health and happiness are the most treasured things I have. They are all the more precious because, at times, I have also experienced their absence. This is what influenced the selection of songs for this CD. At its core are some wonderful jazz songs, ones that are not often recorded, that reflect a range of emotions I have felt, but that are in no way unique to me – love, joy, pain, sadness. Live for Life, I’m Gonna Live Till I Die, The Man That Got Away, Don’t Cry Out Loud are beautiful songs that I can feel to my very core and I hope they resonate with you. As for Hit Me with a Hot Note and Rumour Has It/Fever, I just wanted to have some fun. And I did! I also felt a growing need to return, musically, to South Africa, the land of my birth. It’s such a beautiful country. Sadly, it’s a place to leave; but it never leaves you. I loved co-writing Underneath the Jacaranda Tree, a song that recalls so many wonderful images for me and celebrates the joy I had growing up there. Meadowlands, as joyful as it sounds, is actually a protest song that epitomizes the spirit and resolve of those oppressed by the former apartheid regimes in South Africa. Some of the background vocalizations on these two tracks were inspired by folkloric songs from my youth. Fast forward to more recent times – I faced personal loss, grief, sadness, and disappointment. Although a mostly private matter, Unbroken helps me to exorcise the ghosts, to come to terms with the good and the not-so-good, and move on. This I Know covers the gamut of emotions I have experienced in my life so far. Together they have woven a tapestry in which I now feel comfortable and content, and I hope listening to these songs makes you feel the same way, too. (1) Underneath the Jacaranda Tree 3:20 (Rosanne Baker Thornley, North Easton, June Garber) (2) Live for Life 5:01 (Francis Albert Lai, Norman Gimbel, Pierre Elie Barouh) (3) Hit Me with a Hot Note 4:48 (Duke Ellington, Don George) (4) Malaika 4:58 (Adam Salim) (5) I’m Gonna Live Till I Die 3:12 (Mann Curtis, Al Hoffman, Walter Kent) (6) It was a Very Good Year 5:19 (Ervin Drake) (7) Baltimore Oriole 4:25 (Hoagy Carmichael, Paul Francis Webster) (8) Don’t Cry Out Loud 4:52 (Peter W. Allen, Carole Bayer Sager) (9) Rumour Has It / Fever 3:39 (Ryan Tedder, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins / Eddie J. Cooley, John Davenport) (10) The Man That Got Away 5:59 (Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen) (11) Meadowlands 3:42 (J. Sharp, S. Vilakazi) (12) Unbroken 4:31 (Rosanne Baker Thornley, North Easton, June Garber) Arrangements by Mark Kieswetter, George Koller, June Garber, except ‘Malaika’ by Bruce Cassidy. Piano - Mark Kieswetter, Bass - George Koller, Drums - Ben Wittman (all tracks) Accordion - Joe Macerollo (tracks 2, 11) Guitar - Aidan Mason (tracks 1, 4, 8, 11), Ted Quinlan (tracks 7, 12) Saxophone - John MacMurchy (tracks 5, 10), Alison Young (tracks 1, 3, 7, 9) Trumpet - Guido Basso (track 6), William Sperandei (tracks 1, 3, 9, 11) Flugelhorn - Guido Basso (track 4) Dilruba - George Koller (track 12) B3 organ - Mark Kieswetter (track 7) Background vocals - Carvin Winans, Pat Patrick, The Levy Sisters – Amoy & Ciceal (tracks 1, 3, 9, 11) Produced by George Koller, Mark Kieswetter Recorded and mixed by Bernardo Francisco Cisternas at Number 9 Audio Group Mastered by David Travers-Smith Photography by Bo Huang, Bo Photo Studio Design by Yesim Tosuner, Backyard Design JUNE GARBER -- THIS I KNOW Track Notes 1. Underneath the Jacaranda Tree There is something incredibly beautiful seeing this tree in bloom. The early morning mists would envelope the lilac-tinted blooms and create a mystical sight. The red earth of Johannesburg created a gorgeous contrast. My soul is still in South Africa. 2. Live for Life Live for life is so apt for all of us – always revere the gift of life and health, and wherever possible live each day to the fullest. Despite the strife and war that is a constant in our time, there are also green pastures and clear streams and waterfalls. Find the beauty. 3. Hit Me with a Hot Note Aah! ….I love the wicked fun in this song. I had to write some cheeky lyrics and rap to twist it around and make it my own. 4. Malaika – a love song from Tanzania written in Swahili In Africa, migrant workers had to leave their families, often to work in mines, to live in dormitories to earn money to send home. The song is sung by a poor young man who wishes to marry his beloved ″Angel″ or ″Little bird″ but does not have enough money to pay the dowry. 5. I’m Gonna Live Till I Die Seize the moment and “go for it” with verve! 6. It Was a Very Good Year Aah…this is such a lushly perfect song, filled with acceptance of where life has brought you. Reminiscing about the glory of it all, and tasting the fruit of life, even as you transition from season to season. Rarely sung by a woman. 7. Baltimore Oriole A cautionary tale; of one who thinks that the grass is greener…not so fast, my pretty!...but “things” do happen. 8. Don’t Cry Out Loud This song touched me to my very core. It is amazing how we keep terrible pain within – how life can turn around. It is a song about consequences. 9. Rumour Has It / Fever I find the feel of both songs to be so similar…I had to “meld” them. They are both fascinating, and I wanted to share my perception, and hear peoples’ thoughts about the rhythms and “feels” of the two songs being joined up. 10. The Man That Got Away Isn’t this a universal story? For a man or a woman … just left behind. 11. Meadowlands Meadowlands is a protest song born out of the excesses of the apartheid regime in South Africa. In February 1955, police forcefully removed black families from Sophiatown, a suburb of Johannesburg and an epicentre of politics, jazz and blues during the 1940s and 1950s, to Meadowlands, Soweto. Sophiatown was demolished and removed from the maps of Johannesburg. Meadowlands sounds upbeat and happy, but it belies the fact that they were angry…but their rage was a helpless rage, because their power had been taken away. 12. Unbroken I cannot even begin to utter words about the pain and deep grief I felt after the passing of my husband. It was very traumatic, and I think that having my music was cathartic to a great extent. This song was born by writing down phrases and words and thoughts that I felt. I think people can connect to this in many ways…the loss of a loved one who has passed or perhaps left an intense relationship; someone who has been betrayed. It is a song that you can make your own. THANK YOU! There are precious people to thank, for giving so much of themselves in innumerable ways. I thank my family and my friends who rushed to my side during the darkest days of my life following the sudden passing of my husband and companion of 35 years, Bob Doherty. They watched over me for 24 hours a day for three months. I love you all for your constancy and care. My profound thanks to all the musicians on this recording whom I have respected for so many years ― for their talent and for their kindness and support; to George Koller, who dedicated untold hours to this project; to Mark Kieswetter for beautiful arrangements and for helping me find my voice again after my dark days; and to Bernie at Number Nine Audio Group, who tolerated my shenanigans and created a wonderful mix. Heartfelt thanks to Jaymz Bee for being a steadfast friend and for his tireless support of musicians in the jazz genre, and beyond. Sincere thanks to JAZZ.FM91, CBC, and all the radio stations that continue to play my last CD, even though it was made 8 years ago; to Sybil Walker at Jazz Bistro; to Fay Olson, for inspiring me to sing again and for booking me at the Home Smith Bar; and to the audiences who come out to hear my music. It would be impossible without you. Lastly, I thank Brian Hemming, who gave me hope, held my hand to stop the shaking and showed me that I could smile again with my heart. Without his constant caring and help, this CD would never have been made. You have made me believe that life and love can continue, and I thank you with all my soul.