Ale Nuñez - Blue Room

Ale Nuñez - "Blue Room is an album of carefully selected works from the great American songbook. Each song contributes to the overall themes of longing, love, companionship and desire. There are several songs about homes, houses and rooms. It was a coincidence that songs like “East of The sun,” “Thou Swell,” “You’d be so nice to come home to,” and the title track “Blue room,” were chosen as they all depict this fantasy of falling in love and building a home with someone, a “sanctuary.” Each song holds its own importance and emotion, but when the album is played in its entirety, these thoughtfully chosen songs string together an all encompassing story. 

Songs like “Thou Swell” and “Blue Room” share the sentiment of feeling “rich in love” and glamourizing the simple things in life. “I chose this selection because of my deep connection and relationship to each composition.” “Little Girl Blue” and “When Sunny Gets Blue” speak to me because of their moving and comparable lyrics that hold feelings of sorrow and solitude, and reflect on lonely stages in a person’s life. These two songs mirror each other, representing the perspectives of a man and woman in their own solitude. They contrast from the other selections of more lighthearted love songs. The themes and overall sentiment shine through the arrangements of the songs, they are spontaneous and playful yet moving and sentimental.

Inspired by the many great vocal, guitar and bass trio albums that have shaped me as a vocalist, I knew I wanted to make an intimate and swinging trio album. I knew that Peter Bernstein and Neil Swainson were the right musicians for this project because of their experience and mastery, but specifically because of their individual and complementary voices. They are both generous as accompanists and as people, I feel very lucky to have made this with them. Peter and I had never played together but I had a very clear vision of making this album with him and Neil, I trusted that it would be great and inspiring.

We played a show as a trio for the very first time, and that was our “rehearsal,” we went into the studio the following morning, and recorded all 13 songs. I wanted this to be a true trio album, leaving space for each musician to equally contribute to the story telling and conversation. What I loved most about making this record is that you can hear the spontaneity of the music, it feels like an intimate live performance. There’s a beauty to this spirited way of playing, a refreshing and raw authenticity".