STONY PLAIN RECORDS ANNOUNCES MARCH 24 RELEASE DATE FOR THE SWING JAZZ DEBUT OF SUNNY AND HER JOY BOYS

Introducing Sunny and Her Joy Boys is the debut CD from singer Sunny Crownover, backed by a band led by acclaimed guitarist/producer Duke Robillard.

This project is the brainchild of award-winning guitarist and producer Duke Robillard, and debuts the stunning voice of Sunny Crownover, whose beautiful interpretations of these tunes from the Great American Songbook are nothing less than a revelation. Sunny spent a large part of her life in the Dallas/Fort Worth/Austin area and is now based in New England. Robillard heard her sing for the first time in late 2007 at a Harvard University concert and knew he’d found the voice he was looking for to bring a project to life he’d been wanting to do for over 35 years.

That project became Introducing Sunny and Her Joy Boys, a CD that salutes the golden era of women vocalists of the ‘20s through the ‘50s, where big bands and small combos alike created classic American pop, swing and blues songs of the day. Robillard assembled a small all-acoustic group to provide sympathetic backing to Crownover’s voice, with the talented Billy Novick on clarinet and alto saxophone, Duke and Paul Kalesnikow on arch top guitars and Jesse Williams on acoustic bass. Many of the tracks were done in one take, a testament to the chemistry between the singer and band.

Robillard delved into his encyclopedic knowledge of this music and put together an amazing group of songs that complement both Crownover’s voice and also play to the band’s musical strengths and sterling arrangements. Included are gems from the pens of such classic jazz and swing composers as Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Chick Webb, to Tin Pan Alley legends Harold Arlen, Ned Washington and Victor Young.

Some of the album’s many highlights are the opener, “Strictly from Dixie,” originally popularized by Ella Fitzgerald; Walter Donaldson’s “You’re Driving Me Crazy;” the bluesy ballad, “That’s My Desire;” the classic “Between the Devil and the Deep Blues Sea;” the gorgeous Ellington/Strayhorn composition, “I Don’t Mind;” Billy Holiday’s “Travelin’ All Alone;” the seminal Ellington ballad, “I Got It Bad (and that Ain’t Good);” and another great Chick Webb/Ella Fitzgerald hit, “Undecided.”

This enhanced CD also includes a video performance of the album track, “You’re My Thrill,” playable on most computer CD players. In addition, the song “Strictly from Dixie,” is available as a free download on the House of Blues Radio Hour web site:www.thebluesmobile.com.

Sunny and Her Joy Boys will support the release of Introducing… with performances in the New England area this spring, as well as national jazz festivals this summer.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/dukerobillardpresentssunnyandherjoyboys