Coral Egan
With the release of her third album Magnify, Coral Egan is ready to take on the world. With beguiling tone, impeccable phrasing and true intonation, her undeniably recognizable voice flows from the heart. As a singer and songwriter, Coral creates landscapes of musical imagery and lyrical meaning that convey emotional depth and are of lasting appeal. Nor does this appeal evaporate in a live setting. Egan's stage presence exudes charisma and sensuality, but is strongly grounded by her earthy humanity, connecting the singer effortlessly to her audience.
Born and raised in Montreal, Coral is the daughter of singer, composer and performer extraordinaire Karen Young, so unsurprisingly, her musical education began from day one. Her mother's ever-evolving musical tastes helped forge Coral's eclectic ear. Falling asleep backstage at her mother's shows, or during rehearsals at home, Coral lived and breathed the vibrant musical life of Montreal in its myriad musical eclecticism. At age eleven, her drive to be a part of the excitement won her a solo a cappella performance at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. This was a defining moment; she then knew what she would become.
Coral's numerous performances with her mother, both live and recorded (Contredance, Good News, Canticum Canticorum) were the foundation to excellence. Numerous recording sessions and various musical projects followed, calling for her voice (among them, Cyber-Six, Luc de la Rochelière, Cirque du Soleil, Kaba Horo and Ramasutra). At this time, Coral crossed paths with musician, composer, arranger and producer Charles Papasoff, which whom Coral would soon collaborate.
Papasoff produced the Juno-nominated ("Jazz Vocalist of the Year") album, "The Path of Least Resistance" in 2002, a duo album of memorable and highly original jazz standards with guitarist Alex Cattaneo. Coral's strength in performance won her the Prix Miroir for emerging artists at Quebec's Festival d'Été, and SOCAN's "Hagood Hardy Jazz Music Award".
In 2004, Coral's determination to focus on her art as a singer/songwriter led to her first album of self-penned compositions, "My Favourite Distraction." This highly acclaimed album, produced for Justin Time Records, sold over 35,000 units across Canada and won Quebec's Félix award for "Producer of the year" and "Best artist in a language other than French." Coral's success with "My Favourite Distraction" prompted the government of Canada to request that she represent her country at the World's Fair in Aichi, Japan, in 2005, bringing her music to new continents and new heights.
Coral Egan's talent as a gifted arranger and producer were also growing, as she was invited to interpret and produce songs on several tribute albums. "Les deux guitars" was her contribution to Hommage à Charles Aznavour, and "Un ange guardien" was one of the best-loved tracks on Hommage à Beau Dommage. Finally, "Es-tu là," co-written with Antoine Gratton, found its way onto his album Il Était Une Fois Dans l'Est, a Juno winner for "Best Francophone Album" of 2006.
After extensive national touring, Coral began production on her next album. Magnify is a pure expression of Coral's joy. Wholeheartedly sharing her music and voice with fans contributed to the new album's soulful, upbeat, yet subtly spiritual vibe. It's an appropriate follow-up to the poignant and questioning previous album, "My Favourite Distraction."
On the road, she began a creative collaboration with band member Jay Atwill, an Australian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Many of the songs on Magnify are co-written with Atwill, and the strength of this collaboration is heard throughout the album.
Once again an Egan/Papasoff co-production, the new album aims toward simpler arrangements, thereby creating space for Coral's exceptional vocal harmonies. At times, you'll hear the influence of such musical heroes as Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell. Also in evidence is a love for Americana, of soul, folk, and even a little bluegrass. In the end, though, this album is undeniably "Coral," capturing the essence of humanity and propelling the listener into a new world.
It's a world where old school soul and folk meet, and where simple, beautiful music thrives. Featuring contributions from some of Montreal's hottest musicians, Magnify grooves true to the times and to Coral's own musical vision.
Be sure to see Coral Egan live as she brings the new album to the stage in a show that may best be described by some of the album's lyrics: "This sweet something, ringing true, less refined yet more to chew, like what timeless melodies can do, they take you back, and bring you through." Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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