Funky Ella (feat. Leslie Lewis)

I Put A Spell On You

(Oct 26th 2021)

Release: 26th Oct 2021

American jazz singer Leslie Lewis grew up with a love of equal parts Ella and Aretha and, together with husband-pianist-arranger Gerard Hagen, presents “Funky Ella” – a new project celebrating feel-good music.

Along with four in-demand musicians from the Parisian scene, I Put A Spell On You (Oct 26th) showcases music that is steeped in jazz and R&B but is all about the groove.

Recorded at Studio de Meudon in Paris and mastered in Los Angeles, the album presents 8 feel-good favourites, rearranged and reimagined in a contemporary context.

From Nicolas Peslier’s Memphis-style blues guitar on the title track to the subtle piano stylings of Gerard Hagen on the Beatles tune Come Together, each musician brings their own special flavour to the music. Peter Giron on bass steers the music from funky to atmospheric, whilst Jean-Philippe Naeder (percussion) and Mourad Benhammou (drums) shine in a high-octane battle in the traditional spiritual Sinnerman.

All this, of course, laying the foundation for Leslie Lewis’s powerful and Gospel-infused vocals.

The synergy between the singer and the arrangements is perhaps best explained by the relationship between Lewis and Hagen; the husband-and-wife team met back in 2005 in Laguna Beach, California and relocated to Paris in 2012 and have released six albums together.

This latest one gives a great insight to the feel-good show that they’ve been performing around the world and brings together perhaps their strongest line-up to date.