Australian-born, London-based Sarah McKenzie writes original songs that pay tribute to lots of people. On her list are Wayne Shorter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Michel Legrand and George Gershwin. This makes her hard to categorize. She also admires a number of women musicians, and includes the legendary Marian McPartland as an early inspiration. McKenzie was a scholarship student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and says she was really intimidated by the skill and talent she encountered when she first arrived. She worried the school had made a mistake giving her a scholarship. But she quickly hit her stride and hasn't looked back. By her own admission, McKenzie says she simply loves making music. She enjoys the composition process and, she says, her extensive international travel is a significant inspiration for her lyric writing. At the same time, she loves being with her family. Living in England makes it hard to get home a lot, but she tries. She joins Insight and CapRadio's Gary Vercelli to talk about her new album; 'Secrets of the Heart' and her upcoming performance at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. LISTEN p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

As Sarah McKenzie's return with Secrets of My Heart moves to Italy, Sarah was interviewed by Italian music journalist legend Fausto Pellegrini for RAI News 24 - the Italian state-run news channel which reaches millions of people. For Secrets of My Heart, Sarah has reunited with Chong Lim with a band lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs. WATCH RAI PAGE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

for 2 - MAY - 2019 - She is Australian, composes, sings, plays, is an artist with a beautiful album and a new project, "The secret of my heart", just released. Sarah McKenzie is a very good singer, pianist and composer who lives jazz as a beautiful bridge between tradition and our time. Secrets of My Heart, Sarah has reunited Sarah with Chong Lim and a band that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs. WATCH THE SEGMENT p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

As the 'Secrets of My Heart' tour moves through Italy, the collaboration reuniting Sarah with Chong Lim also includes a lineup of superb musicians, French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs. Sarah says; Ciao Italia! I was just rehearsing with the studio band for my performance on La7 Propaganda Live tonight. Tune in - if you can! - with Roberto Angelini.   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

In support of Sarah McKenzie's new album release; "Secrets of My Heart," the Australian singer-songwriter has been travelling up the West Coast visiting radio stations along the way. On Wednesday April 3rd Sarah visited with CentralCoastPublicRadio FM90's John Walsh and the show; Pacific Standard Time. They chattd about the album, as well as Sarah's life and studies in France and the U.S., and influences such as Michel Legrand, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin. She gives us a peek into her songwriting process, and we hear some tracks from her record.  Note: The excerpt of Cole  Porter's "Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love" is from Julie Wilson's album "Julie Wilson Sings the Cole Porter Songbook." p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Sarah McKenzie has recently released; Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. The musician lineup for the album includes; French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie stopped by ZDF: mo:ma magazin for a live segment. WATCH THE SEGMENT

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} Sarah McKenzie has recently released; Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). In support of this album release McKenzie has been travelling up the West Coast visiting radio stations along the way. On Tuesday April 2nd, Sarah visited with 88.9KUCI - Irvine CA morning host Claudia Shambaugh. Listen to the attached interview.

Australian pianist, singer, composer Sarah McKenzie became well established globally with her Impulse! 2017 Paris in the Rain and now returns on an independent label with the half originals/half covers Secrets of My Heart. She reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director Chong Lim who produced her first two projects. This was recorded in New York City with a core quartet of French bassist Pierre Boussaguet, guitarist Dan Wilson and drummer Donald Edwards. Tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, cellist Judy Redhage, flutist Danilo Caymmi and percussionists James Mack and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocatto also support McKenzie on select tunes. Both Wilson and Roberts are from Joey DeFrancesco's band. There are plenty of gems in her originals, but we'll take the covers first. She opens with John Barry and Leslie Bricusse's "You Only Live Twice" ( a theme from the James Bond film of the same name) that showcases both her vocal talents and sprightly piano touch. She delivers her interpretation of the Stanley Styne/Donald Kahn classic "A Beautiful Friendship" and shows her bluesy side, with scintillating guitar from Wilson, on Dinah Washington's "Come on Home." The closing track is a dazzling piano medley of her Gershwin favorites, snippets of "Rhapsody in Blue," "Summertime," "The Man I Love," and "I Got Rhythm." McKenzie is exploring with a fearless eclectic approach. With her gift for composing, her sparking piano work and elegant vocal delivery, she seems right at home with these accompanists. READ THE FULL MAKING A SCENE REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Australia-born singer Sarah McKenzie is an emerging star with a timeless voice and a spellbinding way with original lyrics, two skills that helped her secure a coveted finalist spot in the 2014 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Since then, the Berklee-educated singer has gone on to have a fruitful career in Europe. She's even recorded a handful of albums on the illustrious French jazz label Impulse!, including 2017's Paris in the Rain, which opened opportunities for her to perform around the world in such places as Brazil, Korea, Japan and the United States. "Traveling was something that I really had to adjust to," says McKenzie. "In the beginning, it is very exciting. I often describe it as going into a magical world; it's stepping off reality and going into this world that's so unreal. Then you come home, and all of that activity stops. It's been a world of extremes." McKenzie's meditations on those extremes - the thrill of travel versus the comfort of home, the freedom of road life versus the security of family - have now resulted in a new album, Secrets of My Heart, which was released on Impulse! on March 29. With its mix of 20th-century jazz standards and sterling original compositions, the album is McKenzie's most personal musical statement to date, projecting an alluring sense of confidence, a worldly outlook and a clear-eyed dedication to her artistic vision. READ THE FULL JAZZIZ REVIEW

31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer Sarah McKenzie has recently released; Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs, sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21st century. "I love writing lyrics. I think I'm very specific with my lyrics. I like Johnny Mercer, Sammy Kahn, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter," says McKenzie before explaining that she now begins with the melody when composing. "Initially, I wrote songs together – the lyrics and melody. But when I pulled them apart, I realisedthat my melodies weren't as strong as I thought they were in my head. I think for me, I always want to have a flow with the words or something witty; and I know how it should sound." In support of this album release McKenzie has been travelling up the West Coast visiting radio stations along the way. On Wednesday April 10th Sarah visited with 90.7KBOO - Portland and with afternoon host Rita Rega. Listen to the attached interview.

Phrasé impeccable, precise and delicate voice, Sarah McKenzie , also pianist, enchants from the first song of his new album, Secrets of my Heart. From You Only Live Twice, created for the movie of the same name of the adventures of James Bond by Nancy Sinatra, she makes a moment of soft and light reverie. A full success that confirms the rest of the album, whether on the own compositions of the singer and pianist ( You and the Music, Till the End of Time ...) or on a few occasions, including a superb Come on Home , from Dinah Washington, in a blues casting. By classical jazz, with elements of Brazilian music, on slow tempo or medium mainly, she affirms her vocal expressiveness. With top-notch musicians, including bassist Pierre Boussaguet, guitarist Dan Wilson and drummer Donald Edwards, who perform wonderfully, especially in the instrumental medley of compositions by the Gershwin brothers, which brings this subtle finale to a close. album.  - Sylvain Siclier SEE ALL Le Monde REVIEWS p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

Sarah McKenzie returns with her poignant, Secrets of My Heart, reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. The Secrets of My Heart lineup includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). In support of this album release, McKenzie travelled north from San Diego, up the West Coast and concluded in Olympia WA on April 11 with KAOS and the one and only John Ford. Listen to the attached segment. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer Sarah McKenzie has recently released; Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs, sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21st century. In support of this album release McKenzie travelled up the West Coast visiting radio stations along the way, and stopped at KZFR: Chico, CA on April 9 to be Interviewed by Jan Bielfelt for his 'Ocean of Rock and Roll' show. Listen to the attached recap of the proceedings. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer Sarah McKenzie has recently released; Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs, sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21st century. In support of this album release McKenzie travelled up the West Coast visiting radio stations along the way, and stopped at 88.5KKRN: Redding, CA on April 9  for an interview by Don Cooper on his 'The Smooth Side of Jazz' show. Listen to the attached interview. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

For Secrets of My Heart, Sarah McKenzie reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs – Don't Tempt Me and Close Your Eyes. Sarah says; "He's the guy who introduced me to Wayne Shorter's Native Dancer and Antonio Carlos Jobim's Stone Flower. We always had a great connection; he knows me inside and out,"  Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). Secrets of My Heart documents McKenzie's burgeoning brilliance interpreting 20th-century jazz standards with her penchant for crafting sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21stcentury. In support of this album release McKenzie travelled up the West Coast from San Diego to Seattle, visiting radio stations along the way. On Sunday April 7th, Sarah visited with 88.9KKUP - Cupertino and afternoon host Eric Hayslett. Watch the attached interview. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

After the great success of Sarah McKenzie's 2017 disc, Paris in the Rain on Impulse! Records, the 31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer returns with the poignant, Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). In support of this album release McKenzie has been travelling up the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle, visiting radio stations along the way. The pianist / singer stopped by 90.5 KWMR: Point Reyes Station, CA - Jazz Groove show on Saturday April 6 for an in-studio visit with host with Joe Blumenthal. Listen to the attached segment. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

After the great success of Sarah McKenzie's 2017 disc, Paris in the Rain on Impulse! Records, the 31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer returns with the poignant, Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). In support of this album release McKenzie has been travelling up the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle, visiting radio stations along the way. The pianist / singer stopped by KSCO: Santa Cruz, CA on Saturday April 6 for an in-studio visit and was interviewed by Michael Jacobi & Rachael Shelton. Listen to the attached segment. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

31-year-old pianist/singer/composer Sarah McKenzie's returns with the poignant, Secrets of My Heart. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart documents McKenzie's burgeoning brilliance interpreting 20th-century jazz standards with her penchant for crafting sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21st century. The album exudes a cosmopolitan flair with its lineup of French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). In support of the album, McKenzie has been travelling up the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle, visiting radio stations along the way. While in San Francisco, she stopped west of twin peaks at KXSF for a segment with MJ McCall  today, Friday April 5. Listen to the attached segment.  

After the great success of Sarah McKenzie's 2017 disc, Paris in the Rain on Impulse! Records, the 31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer returns with the poignant, Secrets of My Heart. The former disc opened more opportunities for McKenzie to perform around the world in such far away places as Brazil, Korea, Japan, and also established her in the United States. Its title song became one of her signature tunes and is one of the highlights of her live shows. "Traveling was something that I really had to adjust to," McKenzie says. "In the beginning, it is very exciting. I often describe it as going into a magical world; it's stepping off reality and going into this world that's so unreal. Then you come home, and all of that activity stops. It's been a world of extremes." In support of this album release McKenzie has been travelling up the West Coast, from San Diego to Seattle, visiting radio stations along the way. While in Los Angeles, the pianist / singer stopped by KPFK's Global Village Wednesdays wYatrika Shah-Rais today, April 3rd. Listen to the attached segment. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Sarah McKenzie's 'Secrets of My Heart' reunites SM with Australian composer/arranger/MD Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs, sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21st century. In support of this album release McKenzie travelled up the West Coast from San Diego to Seattle, visiting radio stations along the way. On April 2, she stopped at KJazz in Long Beach CA to be Interviewed PJ Ochlan's Arts Report. Listen to the attached recap of the proceedings. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer Sarah McKenzie has recently released; Secrets of My Heart, where she reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs. Recorded in New York City, Secrets of My Heart exudes cosmopolitan flair with its lineup that includes French bassist Pierre Boussaguet and Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Bocattoalongside guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Donald Edwards, vibraphonist Warren Wolf,tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber(all of whom based in the United States). McKenzie penned the lion's share of Secrets of My Heart's 12 songs, sterling compositions that will surely become jazz standards in the 21st century. "I love writing lyrics. I think I'm very specific with my lyrics. I like Johnny Mercer, Sammy Kahn, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter," says McKenzie before explaining that she now begins with the melody when composing. "Initially, I wrote songs together – the lyrics and melody. But when I pulled them apart, I realisedthat my melodies weren't as strong as I thought they were in my head. I think for me, I always want to have a flow with the words or something witty; and I know how it should sound." In support of this album release McKenzie has been travelling up the West Coast visiting radio stations along the way. Her first stop was at Jazz88.3KSDS - San Diego with afternoon host Claudia Russell. Listen to the attached interview.

I just can't believe our good fortune. I am blessed to have an unprecedented opportunity to interview a very special guest in our Redding studio. 32 year old Sarah McKenzie is a tremendously talented jazz singer, jazz pianist, music composer and music arranger that has a great future. She will be with us to discuss the release of her new album Secrets Of My Heart, to give us the story behind her remarkable career, and to give us inside information about some of the songs from her now five albums.  READ THE FULL 88.5KKRN: Redding CA ARTICLE

After the greatsuccess of Sarah McKenzie's 2017 disc, Paris in the Rain(Impulse! Records), the 31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer returns with the poignant, Secrets of My Heart. The former disc opened more opportunities for her to perform around the world in such far away places as Brazil, Korea, Japan, and also established her in the United States. Its title song became one of her signature tunes and is one of the highlights of her live shows. "Traveling was something that I really had to adjust to," McKenzie says. "In the beginning, it is very exciting. I often describe it as going into a magical world; it's stepping off reality and going into this world that's so unreal. Then you come home, and all of that activity stops. It's been a world of extremes." German television 3SAT, which also broadcasts in Austria and Switzerland, presented Sarah and the upcoming album. 
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The latest album "Secrets of My Heart" (available from March 29, 2019) by the 31-year-old singer, pianist and composer is the follow-up to the successful album "Paris in the Rain". It was recorded in New York with the help of longtime producer Chon Lim. The album begins with "You Only Live Twice", a personal interpretation of James Bond Megahit by John Barry and Leslie Bricusses. In the title song "Secrets of My Heart", McKenzie describes her inner unrest by separating from her family and home. Exhilarating piano sounds are in "I Fell in Love with You", accompanied by Dan Wilson with the guitar. The songs "Till the End of Time" and "De Nada" were written in Rio de Janeiro and reflect McKenzie's passion for Brazilian music. The piece "You Must Believe in Spring" was written by the late composer Michel Legrand in 2019. The impressionistic harmonic language combined with the profound lyrics creates goose bumps. READ THE FULL audiophil-online REVIEW

As The Checkout reflects on our eighth season featuring distinguished alumni from Berklee College Music, one theme becomes immediately apparent: jazz is flourishing internationally, especially among younger artists. As we unveil in this episode, Sarah McKenzie may have been born in Australia, but she finds inspiration in classical songbook from America. Here the triple threat singer/pianist/songwriter, performong her Cole Porterish original "Paris In The Rain."  Look for Sarah's upcoming recording this Spring called: Secrets of the Heart.   READ/LISTEN TO THE FULL WBGO Newark NJ SEGMENT

Never underestimate the power of a first impression. For Australian jazz pianist and vocalist Sarah McKenzie, what started as a workshop for underprivileged East Bay kids led to a major commission that heralds her return to the United States as a bright new star. On Friday, Sept. 14, Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts presents the premiere of McKenzie's 13-piece song cycle San Francisco - Paris of the West, a work commissioned by the Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA). Her all-star octet includes the three co-leaders of the acclaimed Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra - bassist John Clayton, saxophonist Jeff Clayton, and drummer Jeff Hamilton. "It's definitely my most ambitious work to date," says McKenzie, 31, whose 2017 album Paris in the Rain (Impulse!) celebrates the city where she was based for much of 2015–2016. "I always write my own tunes, but on my albums I only include three or four originals. This is the first time I've written all the songs for a project, all the lyrics and arrangements." READ THE FULL San Francisco Classical Voice ARTICLE

Headlining a Monday night show at New York's Blue Note, the blond-haired, blue-eyed singer-pianist took the stage with her all-male quartet. With no chit-chat, and just a nod and smile at the audience, she launched into "You And The Music," a newly minted original. Four more of her own tunes-she writes both music and lyrics-would follow, before she played her first standard of the show, Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight." The set conveyed Sarah McKenzie's priorities as an artist, reinforced during an interview a few days later at her Manhattan hotel: Although she sings and plays with swinging assurance, the thing that she's counting on to distinguish herself is her songwriting.  Sarah McKenzie's new work, San Francisco–Paris Of The West, will have its world premiere at the Bay Area's Lesher Center for the Arts on Sept. 14. (Photo: Philippe Lévy-Stab) READ THE FULL DOWNBEAT ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}

The Lesher Center for the Arts - located in the historic downtown section of Walnut Creek, California - has been presenting leading-edge programming within all arts disciplines, including the American jazz tradition, for almost three decades. This year's Jazz at the Lesher Center 2018 Concert Series, presented by the Diablo Regional Arts Association for the seventh year in a row, will run on Saturday evenings from July 28 through September 14. On September 14, the series will conclude with the world premiere of vocalist-pianist Sarah McKenzie's San Francisco - Paris of the West, a 13-song suite of newly composed material commissioned by Jazz at the Lesher Center. The concert commemorates the enduring legacy of San Francisco's oldest department store, City of Paris, through a collective of narratives set to 1930s-inspired music. The songs were written in the tradition of the Great American Songbook, and promise to bring to life the wondrous stories of the store's founders, Felix and Emile Verdier, who voyaged aboard the "Ville du Paris" ship from France to San Francisco on a quest to open a store celebrating French culture. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL JAZZIZ ARTICLE

The Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek (CA) - located in the bay area just East of San Francisco - has awarded singer, pianist and composer SARAH McKENZIE with a highly paid composition commission to compose a full concert length work based on the theme "San Francisco - Paris of the West". The work will get premiered at the Lesher Center on September 14, 2018 with an all-star line-up put together especially for this event. During much of its past San Francisco has been referred to (among others) as "Paris of the West". This was based on cultural influence, but also architecture of key buildings around the city. Sarah´s knack for everything French is well documented in her last two albums ("Paris in the Rain" and "We could be Lovers"), and as a composer in the style of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin or Rogers & Hart she has had a number of hit tunes already ("Quoi, Quoi, Quoi", "Paris in the Rain", "We Could Be Lovers", "One Jealous Moon", "Don´t Tempt Me"). As a Berklee College of Music student Sarah has lead a workshop at the Lesher Center for the Arts in 2014 and impressed the directors to entrust her with this commission, which is the first of its kind for the Lesher Center for the Arts.  Sarah records for the Impulse! (Universal) label and is signed to Universal Music Publishing in France. She just recently performed to 7.1 million people on the "Encontro com Fátima Bernardes" television show in Brazil and performed at the world-renown Montreux Jazz Festival this summer.

After enchanting jazz fans with her 2015 Impulse! Records debut, We Could Be Lovers, Sarah McKenzie returns with the sensational follow-up, Paris in the Rain. Like before, the 28-year-old, Melbourne, Australia-born singer, pianist, composer and arranger teams with the acclaimed Brian Bacchus – who has produced classics for such stars as Norah Jones, Lizz Wright, and Gregory Porter – to deliver a gripping program of jazz classics and originals – all of which present McKenzie's incredible musicality in glamorous glory. McKenzie moved to Paris last year after graduating from Boston's Berklee College of Music. The album's snazzy title track is her love letter to the City of Light. The fanciful lyrics find her alternating effortlessly between French and English as she rejoices in the city's opulent offerings. "I'm really in love with Paris. It's a really amazing city. It's so beautiful with so much to offer in terms of culture, food and style. I wanted to write a song that captures all of Paris' beauty, magic and spirit." Paris in the Rain was selected for this week's anima Jazz playlist. CLICK HERE TO VIEW

Born in Australia, schooled at Berklee and recently moved to Paris, pianist-singer-songwriter and arranger Sarah McKenzie will delight listeners on this new release, her second for Impulse! Records. The backing musicians include vibraphonist Warren Wolf, guitarist Mark Whitfield, bassist Reuben Rogers, drummer Gregory Hutchinson, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, flutist Jamie Baum, alto saxophonist Scott Robinson, tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, and guitarist Romero Lubambo in various combinations. While the press materials suggest this album be viewed as sort of a travelogue with performances including her original title track, Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's "When in Rome," and her closing "Road Chops," the pleasures of this recording do not depend on such thematic considerations. READ THE FULL In A Blue Mood REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial; min-height: 11.0px}