SUPERSTARS CD 2007

2007 was a great year for Hearts & Voices, and once again we were lucky enough to have performances by a fantastic lineup of artists. For the second year running, we put together a free CD for our audiences featuring 15 of our favorite Hearts & Voices artists. For many of our audience members, Hearts & Voices is a big part of their lives, and these annual compilations offer them the chance to keep that connection alive in between shows.

All the featured artists donated their tracks to the CD, and the result is a genre-hopping mash-up of driving rock, R&B, jazz standards, singer/songwriter, and more. Here it is, track by track…

Michael Connolly – ‘What A Time To Be Alive’ Michael is a long term musical collaborator with Hearts & Voices stalwart Lucinda, but is also a fantastic artist in his own right. This track is lifted from his brand new CD, ‘Room 118’. www.michaelconnollymusic.com

Cassandra Kubinski – ‘Racecar’ Cassandra has been a friend of Hearts & Voices for many years and we’ve seen her career grow and grow. Cassie recently wrapped filming for ‘Clear Blue Tuesday’, a musical about ordinary New Yorkers living through 9/11, which also features two of her songs. She also donated proceeds from her new CD, ‘Hold The Sun’ to LIFEbeat. www.ckubinski.com

Chloe – ‘Wild Child’ Hailing from Australia, Chloe has spent the last few years travelling the globe, writing and recording her debut album 'Beyond Coming’, recorded and produced at The Garage in Los Angeles with the legendary Paul Fox. Now based in the East Village, she’s working on a new EP and dreaming of hitting the Broadway stage. http://www.myspace.com/chlopw

Michael Ashanti – ‘The Sun Will Rise Again’ Michael is a tireless, high-energy performer, currently taking his potent soul-fusion blend global with his independently released album, ‘All Of Me’. Like Cassandra, Michael is a former Hearts & Voices ‘Featured Artist’ and we can always count on him to rock the room! www.michaelashanti.com

Sonia Montez – ‘Through Love’s Spell’ Newly signed to Radian Records, Sonia writes beautiful, funny, heartbreaking songs and has an uncanny ability to captivate even the rowdiest room. Sonia is Hearts & Voices latest ‘Featured Artist’ and she’s currently working on her debut album. www.soniamontez.com

Markeisha Ensley – ‘Joy Comes In The Morning’ Markeisha has the low notes of a Gladys Knight and the spiraling highs of a young Whitney Houston, but her sound is all her own. Markeisha has performed all over the country- everywhere from the Bitter End to Atlanta’s National Black Arts Festival. www.markeishaensley.com

Tha Heights – ‘I Want It’ Backed by an all star team, Manny, Sosa, Frito and Winston have been steadily building momentum since 2003, when they signed a management deal with Patricia Taylor’s OFFbeat Entertainment. As well as being the face of Bazooka Bubblegum, they’re also crowd favorites at Incarnation Children’s Center in their home neighborhood of Washington Heights. www.thaheights.com

Ben Godwin – ‘Hate Is Safer Than Love’ Ben is the incoming manager for Hearts & Voices, having joined the program in early 2006. A recent transplant to NYC, his theatrical cocktail of vaudeville, cabaret and howling rock ‘n’ roll regularly delights audiences all over town and at many Hearts & Voices shows. Proceeds from his debut album, ‘Skin And Bone’, benefit LIFEbeat. www.bengodwin.com

Mike Butler – ‘Her Song’ Michael is a NYC music scene stalwart, a lifetime musician and for the last 15 years a full time performer. He’s a human jukebox with an ability to pull all sorts of wonderful and obscure material out of thin air, as well as playing a substantial catalog of his original material. www.myspace.com/michaelbutlernowvoyager

Dan Asselin – ‘I Could Not Be Found’ Dan is a recent addition to the Hearts & Voices family. Quicksilver fingerpicking skills plus smart, whimsical lyrics and a risk-taking performance ethos mean no two shows are alike. Dan is writing, recording, and studying at Brooklyn College. www.myspace.com/danasselin

Marcus Goldhaber – ‘Walking My Baby Back Home’ Marcus is pure class, a jazz singer who’s been compared to Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra himself. When not being written up in publications as diverse as Jazz Improv and People magazine, he can be found singing with the Jon Davis Trio in some of NYC’s classiest jazz haunts. www.marcusgoldhaber.com

Lucinda – ‘Just Me’ Lucinda is a heroine of Hearts & Voices, who is known and loved at every facility we visit. She’s also a pioneering independent musician who tours constantly and sells tens of thousands of CDs. She donated proceeds from the launch of her current CD, ‘Aquamarine’ to LIFEbeat. www.lucindaworld.com

AlySun Panichi – ‘It’s Right There’ Aly needs no introduction. As Program Manager of Hearts & Voices she completely transformed the program, and we’re hoping she gets to spend some time making & promoting her own music now that she’s stepping back from running the show! www.myspace.com/alysunpanichi

Grace Garland – ‘Simple’ Grace is, exactly as her name suggests, a wonderful, life-affirming presence. Anyone who’s witnessed her Hearts & Voices shows has seen a healthcare facility get transformed into a raucous nightclub, usually inside of the first two bars of the song. Signed to Shark Meat Records, Grace performs all over town with the G-Spot Band. www.gracegarland.com

Katy Pfaffl – ‘Hold On’ Katy is the newest addition to Hearts & Voices on the disc and one of the most inspiring songwriters you’ll ever see. Prolific, almost frighteningly talented, and with a dedicated NYC following, her new release ‘If I Rise’ captures the energy of her transcendent live performances. www.myspace.com/katypfaffl