The new album is here!
Melody Diachun is an artist with a penchant for pairing atypical material with improvising musicians. SUMNER'S TALES: THE MUSIC OF STING is a bold next step in her adventure.
Born Gordon Sumner, Sting is one of the greatest living songwriters. Melody remains faithful to the essence of the songs while the soloists roam free. Soundscapes and grooves run the gamut from lush to bombastic.
MELODY DIACHUN is a celebrated vocalist, songwriter, and a JUNO and National Jazz Awards nominee. "She is—and will always be—a force to reckon with in contemporary vocal music." - Toronto Music Report
DAVID RESTIVO is one of Canada's most respected jazz artists and a three-time winner of the National Jazz Awards' Pianist of the Year. His album "Arancia" (Chronograph Records) was nominated for Jazz Group of the Year at the 2022 JUNOs.
MICHAEL OCCHIPINTI is a versatile, sound-sculpting guitarist and composer/arranger. He has spent decades flowing between jazz, chamber and world music, funk, and R&B. Michael is a 9-time JUNO nominee. He won the 2022 JUNO Award for Jazz Group of the Year as a member of Avataar.
DOUG STEPHENSON is a veteran of Western Canada's music community. He is bassist, guitarist, composer, producer, and mixing engineer. He has performed with myriad artists including Charlie Rouse, Les McCann, Jay Thomas, and Tommy Banks.
TONY FERRARO is a diverse, musical drummer, and winner of Percussionist of the Year award at Humber College. He is an exciting player, always bringing his passion and intensity to the music.
Melody Diachun - voice, percussion
Michael Occhipinti - guitar, guitar loops, ambient effects
David Restivo - piano, keyboard
Doug Stephenson - acoustic bass
Tony Ferraro - drums
Released October 21, 2022
Melody Diachun | Fields Of Gold: Exclusive Premiere on Tinnitist
The Canadian jazz singer takes Sting's wistful classic in a bold new direction.
By Darryl Sterdan | 2022-09-16
Melody Diachun goes on a seductive stroll through Sting’s wistful Fields Of Gold in her gorgeous new single — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
A preview of the celebrated Canadian jazz vocalist’s upcoming fifth album Sumner’s Tales: The Music of Sting, the shimmering Fields Of Gold takes you on a sweet sonic journey in a rich sonic landscape. Over the course of six sublime minutes, the track gradually builds from a late-night piano ballad to a quietly muscular full-band jaunt, with swirling keyboards, stinging guitar work and brushed drums meshing seamlessly beneath Diachun’s warm, welcoming vocals. Together, they explore and expose new layers of depth and meaning in Sting’s soothing, Celtic-tinged 1993 classic.
A talented vocalist, songwriter and performer praised for her soulful confidence, exquisite intonation, phrasing, and sense of time, Diachun has a penchant for pairing atypical material with improvising musicians. She takes a bold step with Sumner’s Tales, remaining faithful to the essence of the Policesinger-bassist and songwriter’s works, be they huge hits like Roxanne or B-sides like Murder By Numbers. Meanwhile, Diachun’s bandmates roam free over grooves and soundscapes that run the gamut from lush to bombastic. The album features Melody’s long-time collaborators: Pianist David Restivo, guitarist Michael Occhipinti, bassist Doug Stephenson and drummer Tony Ferraro.
Other notable recordings from Diachun’s catalog include EQ and Metaphora by Altered Laws, which was nominated for a Juno for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year in 2008 and won Outstanding Jazz Album at the 2008 Western Canadian Music Awards. Melody was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and the 2009 Canadian National Jazz Awards and for Artist of the Year at the Kootenay Music Awards in 2018 and 2019.
"Fields Of Gold" single available now on all music platforms