Although Alex
Pangman grew up a couple of generations late to have sung with Teddy
Wilson, the vibrant young vocalist is proud to be known as Canada's
Sweetheart of Swing. With pipes aplenty, Pangman possesses the requisite
taste, talent and the historical knowledge of an avid record collector
to breathe new life into the sturdy standards of the classic jazz era.
Her 2011 release "33" on the Justin Time record label is the very latest in her accomplishments.
A superb song stylist with growing compositional chops, the
prodigiously gifted Toronto scenemaker has built a loyal fanbase amongst
jazz listeners and dancers alike through her critically acclaimed work
with her stacked Alley Cats in the studio, upscale nightclubs and
concert halls across Canada including two stellar showcases at the
Montreal International Jazz Festival.
Alex's dedication to her music goes far beyond was might be called a
passionate pursuit – it's more like a life-long obsession which began in
her teens upon first discovering Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden
along with amazing singers like Mildred Bailey, Julia Lee and Maxine
Sullivan. "An exciting new world with this immense songbook opened up to
me."
Alex quickly began delving deeper into the sophisticated shellac of
the 20s and 30s which eventually led to a fortuitous connection with
guitar great Jeff Healey who knew a rare talent when he heard it. In
very short order, Healey produced her impressive 1999 debut They Say
(Sensation Records) as well as the 2001 follow-up, You Can't Stop Me
From Dreaming. While facets of Ella Fitzgerald, Connie Boswell and Ruth
Etting could be discerned in Alex's zesty delivery, that crisp clear
voice was unequivocally her own.
After getting a Songwriter of the Year nod from the National Jazz
Awards for her tune Melancholy Lullaby for the 2001 film Torso: The
Evelyn Dick Story, Alex received two more nominations in the Vocalist Of
The Year category and then a Ken Whiteley number she sang over the
opening scene of the 2003 feature film Falling Angels won a Genie for
Best Original Song.
While the
gorgeously filmed videos for the aforementioned Melancholy Lullaby and
One Night In Monte Carlo shot to the top of the Bravo! Countdown, Alex
was busily scheduling collaborations with everyone from Grammy-nominated
trumpeter Kevin Clark and the dashing Denzal Sinclaire to pianist Tyler
Yarema and even Jim Galloway's All-Stars. But Alex was never keen on
being anyone's "chick singer" and to underscore that point, she selected
the repertoire, assembled her band and co-produced 2005's Live In
Montreal (Real Gone Gal) album which stands among her finest recorded
performances.
More recently a union with prestigious Montreal jazz
label Justin Time further continues Alex’s return to form, with a new
disc scheduled for release in April 2011. This disc, “33”, refers at
once to Pangman’s age as well as to the fact that the bulk of the
material (save for one self-penned number) was a popular song in the
year 1933. This recording will be promoted and toured across Canada in
summer of 2011 with support from the Canada Council. Also in the works
is a project with renowned American guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, and, of
course, an increasing number of club and concert gigs for which Alex is
so well known an appreciated.
The blessing of more frequent bookings would also prove to be a
curse. Smoke-filled venues were definitely not the place for someone
battling lung disease and Alex reluctantly took a break to recoup. All
the while, her interest in singing and playing music never waned. In
fact, it was during her self-imposed exile that she stumbled onto the
city's bluegrass and string-band underground. Alex fit right in with the
scrappy Cameron House crowd who shared her excitement for the enriching
sound of a bygone era when the lines between jazz, blues and country
were still blurry enough to ignore.
A hook-up with the Backstabbers' frontman Colonel Tom Parker gave rise to the rollicking roots country combo Lickin' Good Fried.
But just as the tape was about to roll on their debut album session,
Alex's physical condition worsened to the point where a double lung
transplant was deemed essential. Determined to finish voicing her parts,
vertical or horizontal, Alex's sweetly soulful crooning throughout the
group's self-released Say Uncle! disc is testament to her unflinching
dedication. The good news is that a donor was found in time and the
surgery was a complete success. Alex has roared back to full strength in
a remarkably quick recovery that's borderline miraculous. A new home at Justin Time Records has Pangman back in the spotlight again with her 2011 release "33", her first on a major label. A happy
ending? More like a thrilling new beginning.
More recently a union with
prestigious Montreal jazz label Justin Time further continues Alex’s return to
form, with a new disc scheduled for release in April 2011. This disc, “33”,
refers at once to Pangman’s age as well as to the fact that the bulk of the
material (save for one self-penned number) was a popular song in the year 1933.
This recording will be promoted and toured across Canada in summer of 2011 with
support from the Canada Council. Also in the works is a project with renowned
American guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, and, of course, an increasing number of
club and concert gigs for which Alex is so well known an appreciated.