Juno-winning vocalists Laila Biali and Caity Gyorgy have teamed up on a duo version of the jazz standard “Pennies From Heaven.”
It’s the latest single from Biali’s upcoming album Your Requests, set to be released in late May.
Listen to “Pennies From Heaven” below:
“The arrangement idea for ‘Pennies from Heaven’ first came to me when I was on a plane, en route to a show,” Biali explains. “Enjoying the aerial view of fluffy white clouds, I first heard the bass line doubled by my left-hand piano part — the band cruising along with the melody floating overtop. Caity Gyorgy was the perfect voice to bring even more levity and momentum. She’s an effortless improviser, and I love the interplay of her scat with the vibes and sax. As the saying goes, ‘Spring showers bring May flowers,’ and that’s the feeling I hope people get as they listen.”
Biali won the Juno Award for jazz vocal album of the year in 2018, and was nominated again in 2021 for her most recent album Out of Dust. Gyorgy recently won her second consecutive Juno Award, with Featuring winning jazz vocal album of the year after she won the same award for Now Pronouncing in 2022.
“Caity is one of the most hard-working artists I’ve ever met,” Biali says. “Not only is she packed with uncanny talent, she also has a very good head on her shoulders, navigating tough business decisions with the kind of laser-beam precision few musicians possess, regardless of age. In terms of her accomplishments… To win one Juno on the first go is huge, but to then pull in a second just a year later — well, that elevates her to the ranks of Diana Krall and Michael Bublé, which is where she’s headed. Mark my words.”
Biali has previously released “Autumn Leaves” and “My Funny Valentine” from Your Requests.
Here’s the track listing:
Laila Biali’s Your Requests is out May 26, 2023, via Empress Music Group.
