Thrilled to receive 3+ stars from France’s most prestigious soul/blues magazine, Soul Bag.

VALERIE GHENT
DAY TO DAY DREAM

SOUL

A few tasty excerpts:

“Ghent has become a prominent figure in NYC’s soul scene…Producer, singer, pianist, songwriter, Valerie Ghent is clearly in the lineage of (Valerie) Simpson.”

“Surrounded by an excellent band of local greats…soul influenced by jazz and blues, which at times evokes Brenda Russell.”

“The quality of Ghent’s repertoire makes this CD such a success, from the funky ‘Wheels on a Train’ which opens the album, to the stripped bare ballad, ‘Show My Love’, which closes it, and including the gospel ‘You Brought Me Home.'”

 

 

Soul Bag Magazine (France) No 207 Julliet-Aout 2012

Français:
Née à New York (mais d’origine française!) Valerie Ghent est devenue une figure marquante de la scène soul de sa ville, collaborant notamment avec Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson et se produisant régulierement dans le club fondé par le duo. Productrice, chanteuse, pianiste, auteure-compositrice, c’est evidemment dans la lignée de Simpson que se situe Valerie Ghent.

Pour son quatrième album auto-produit – et le premiere à nous parvenir – c’est un disque très personnel que propose Ghent. Entourée d’un excellent orchestre de pointures locales (on y croise meme la choriste Alfa Anderson, voix historique de Chic!), elle interpret des compositions originales dans un registre de soul sous influence jazz et blues qui évoque par moment Brenda Russell.

…C’est la qualité du répertoire proposé qui fait la réussite de ce disque, du funky Wheels on a Train qui ouvre l’album, à la ballade dépouillé Show My Love qui le clôt, en passant par le gospel You Brought Me Home.

Translation:
Born in New York (but of French origin!) Valerie Ghent has become a prominent figure in the soul scene of her home town, working most notably with Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson and appearing regularly in the club founded by the duo. Producer, singer, pianist, songwriter, Valerie Ghent is clearly in the Simpson lineage.

For her fourth self-produced album – and the first to reach us – Ghent offers a very personal record. Surrounded by an excellent band of local greats (including singer Alfa Anderson, the same historic voice of Chic!), she performs her original songs, soul influenced by jazz and blues, which at times evokes Brenda Russell.

…It is the quality of Ghent’s repertoire that makes this CD such a success, from the funky Wheels on a Train which opens the album, to the stripped ballad, Show My Love, which closes it, and including the gospel You Brought Me Home.