release date: 14.08.2026 on Summit Records
Vocalist Denise Donatelli to release new recording, “Take My Breath Away,” under the Musical Direction and arrangements of Geoffrey Keezer. A recording is dedicated to Michele Ito.
“Donatelli makes it sound so natural to hit the dead centre of each note, you can almost forget how rarely it occurs in the rest of the world. Her intonation combines accuracy with ease in a way most singers can only imagine.” … -Neil Tesser, GRAMMY® winning Jazz Journalist.
About the Recording
The Voice — Some vocalists possess a mellifluous voice, pleasing to the ear and able to bring a melody to life. Others possess perfect pitch and intonation. Some inherently swing. Some are naturals at phrasing, adding a “jazz inflection” to the lyrics. The special few have a charismatic stage presence in front of a live audience. So, what about the rare singer who has all of those qualities? I present to you three-time GRAMMY Award nominee for “Best Female Jazz Vocalist” Denise Donatelli! Listen to the two duo pieces on this album. In that format, a singer is truly exposed—any flaws are easily detected. Instead, Denise’s vocals captivate and command, revealing an artist fully in control.
The Production — Once again, Ms. Donatelli teams up with her long-time collaborator, GRAMMY Award-winning pianist, arranger, and producer Geoffrey Keezer. His deep knowledge of Denise’s abilities and qualities leads to unique and sometimes unusual arrangements, with extraordinary results.
The Players — Donatelli and Keezer recorded a good portion of this album in New York and have brought in some of the top “A-list” New York cats in on the recording—including a string quartet on one number, a viola, vibes, with different combinations of horns. This lent a different cast to the overall sound.
The Repertoire — Having discussed song selection with Denise for previous albums, I know that she spends a great deal of time and energy researching the right material to use. Even when selecting material by noted composers, she dives deeply into their catalog and chooses pieces that are not very well known or frequently covered. This new album is no exception. The composers chosen this time include Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, George Duke, Donald Brown, Larry Goldings, Nathan East, Tom Jobim, Eliane Elias, Hoagy Carmichael, and Irving Berlin, among others!
The Engineering — As an audiophile, I pay close attention to the sound quality of a recording. and This album sounds superb! Kudos to the engineers: Aaron Nevezie, Talley Sherwood, and Harriet Tam. The album was mixed by Aaron Nevezie and mastered by Alex DeTurk. They are as much a part of the group as the musicians when it comes to making a recording of this caliber. If you are a nerd like me and read the liner notes even before listening to the album, you are now in for a real treat!
Recording this album took me on an unexpected journey
The tracks on this album were originally recorded in May of 2024 at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, NY. However, when I returned home to LA, the results of a recent mammogram and biopsy confirmed breast cancer. Therefore, our recording project had to be put on hold while I went through medical treatments throughout the following year. Thankfully, they were successful, and I was able to get back into the studio with an “all clear!” Now it is with profound thanks and love of life that I present what I hope you will enjoy hearing as much as we enjoyed recording it!
I want to express my deep gratitude to arranger, producer, and above all else, my longtime friend, GRAMMY winning pianist and composer, Geoffrey Keezer. His exceptional talent and musical brilliance come shining through and continue to be a source of inspiration! My core bandmates and powerhouse musicians Ron Blake, Terreon Gully, Reuben Rogers, Daniel Sadownick, and Yotam Silberstein were outstanding. They all played so beautifully while making this recording process so much fun! Shout out to Kenny Rampton, Sarah Hanahan, Donny McCaslin, Siya Charles, Chien Chien Lu, Jessica McJunkins (AKA Lady Jess), Orlando Wells, Andrew Griffin, Susan Mandel, and Chris Johnson, who all played so elegantly. Much appreciation to Matt Cusson for your vocal arrangement on Go and to Arnold McCuller for sharing your beautiful, silky voice with mine. Cheers to Aaron Nevezie, Talley Sherwood, and Harriet Tam for your exquisite recording skills and to Alex DeTurk for mastering this project. Also, to Jody Abbott for his amazing ATMOS mix. A special thank you to scientist, university professor, jazz radio producer/host and progressive music aficionado, Dr. Brad Stone for his beautifully written liner notes. I want to express my love and gratitude to my husband and partner Robbie Davis for his love, care, and continuing support of my music.Once again, I want to recognize Barney Fields of Highnote–Savant Records for his friendship and guidance along the way.
—Denise Donatelli
This recording is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Michele Ito, for her love of music, inspiration and encouragement through the years.
About Denise Donatelli
Denise Donatelli is a multi-GRAMMY® nominated jazz vocalist alternating between jazz and adult contemporary music. Denise’s latest Savant recording Whistling In the Dark – The Music of Burt Bacharach (2021) marks her first concept album devoted to a single composer and her debut recording with legendary 4-time GRAMMY winning producer Larry Klein. As a Savant Recording artist, Donatelli’s last three recordings Find a Heart (2015), Soul Shadows (2012) and When Lights are Low (2010) have collectively received four GRAMMY® nominations: three nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and one nomination in the Best Arrangement category. Previously, she recorded two albums, What Lies Within (2008), her first Savant Records release, and In the Company of Friends (2005) for Jazzed Media Records. She is also featured on GRAMMY® winner, Bill Cunliffe’s releases That Time of Year (2011) and Bachanalia (2017). In addition to her GRAMMY nominations, Denise was honored as 2012 Jazz Vocalist of the Year by The Los Angeles Jazz Society, whose voting advisors included Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Johnny Mandel. She has also placed on Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll in Female Rising Star and Best Female Vocalist categories for five consecutive years.
Donatellis musical journey started in rural Allentown, Pennsylvania when she was only four years old with classical piano training that continued throughout her high school years. Her parents who were both musically inclined, subscribed to Columbia and Capital music clubs and gave young Denise access to a large collection of jazz albums. After a move to Atlanta, Georgia, she turned to singing jazz professionally, honing her skills with a jazz trio at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for several years. Eventually, she moved to Los Angeles where she immediately found her place in the community of well-respected musicians.
Her innate musicianship and recording successes have also translated to television where she has performed on episodes of The Simpsons and for TV promos including Frasier and Turner Classic Movies. Her on-camera work includes national and international commercials for such brands as CNN, Hyundai, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz. Denise has performed nationally and internationally at leading jazz festivals, jazz venues, and universities where she also conducts jazz vocal master classes.
Denise is associated with the American Heart Association in memory of her son.