The smooth, sultry voice of Cheryl Fisher, local jazz vocalist and internationally renowned recording artist, is back in a big way this Friday with the release of her sixth studio album, titledQuietly There.

Having grown up in Sylvan Lake, graduating from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Education and the University of Miami with a Masters in Jazz Vocal Performance, Fisher is well known in the international jazz community.

Her latest soothing serenade is sure to leave listeners swooning over a softer side of Fisher she so seldom shows in the studio. Quietly There is a collection of songs carefully selected byFisher and arranged in a way that will truly move you.

The album is the true soundtrack to a snowy winter’s night – one made to fill the silence as you are bundled in front of a fire, with a glass of wine and a loved one.

Although she has been compiling the songs for a number of years, Fisher explained the album took a little over a year from start to finish to fall together. No stranger to the recording studio herself, Fisher added her experience recording Quietly There was unlike any before.

“I’ve never had the experience of things falling together in exactly the right time, exactly the right place, with exactly the right players, the right producer and in the right studio, inCalgary I might add– everything came together in a really sort of magical way,” explained Fisher.

She detailed how a long time friend and fellow musician, John Stowell had been doing what she calls ‘poking’ at her to get back in the studio, but she wasn’t ready to travel internationally to record another album as she had done most of her previous work.

“I’m always flying some where else to record. Most of my recordings have been done in Portland or Miami,” she said. “Yet when you’re in a recording situation, ideally you want to be relaxed and on home turf, although before Quietly There I had never really gotten to do it that way.”

When she found out Stowell was heading north and bringing his trio, Scene, with him she knew the time was right and she jumped on the opportunity.

“It’s tough because he’s down in Portland, his trio lives in Seattle and it’s difficult to get everyone together,” added Fisher. “But not this time – it was very synchronistic. The studio was available, the producer was available and even though I had never met any of these gentlemen – which is a very crazy way to record by the way – I knew that if they were John’s trio I would love them.

“We fast became family in the studio and the music that came out of that session is so beautiful, so spontaneous, so heartfelt – I’m very proud of this album.”

The album included Cheryl Fisher – vocals, Eric Allison – woodwinds, John Toomey – piano, keyboards, John Stowell – guitars, Jeff Johnson – bass, Burnis Stubbs – percussion, BobTildesley – trumpet & flugelhorn and was produced by Paul Johnston.

Quietly There, Cheryl Fisher’s sixth studio is available online at www.cherylfisher.com or this Friday via iTunes.

editor@sylvanlakenews.com