Search - Diane Nalini :: Songs of Sweet Fire

Jazz singer/songwriter Diane Nalini has put a uniquely modern spin on the words of William Shakespeare in her latest album. 'Songs of Sweet Fire' is a collection of 15 sonnets and songs set to Diane?s original jazz, funk and blues music. 'Songs of Sweet Fire', named for a sonnet in Love?s Labour?s Lost, is her third album since she started recording in 2001. Nalini, a longtime admirer of Shakespeare?s plays, wrote music for the album off and on for five years. ?It was very important to me to let the phrasing of the words dictate the style of music I wrote for each song,? she said, adding that some of the music is traditional jazz, while other songs have a Motown and even a gospel sound. ?I decided to set only those songs that were in more modern-sounding English, to highlight the timelessness of Shakespeare?s words,? she said. Among the songs she set to music were ?Mistress Mine? and ?Rain every day? from ?Twelfth Night?, and ?The Lover and his lass? from ?As you like it?, as well as ?Under the blossom,? Ariel?s song from ?The Tempest.? In addition to songs from the Bard's plays, she has also set some of his sonnets. "For love of you" is a soulful rendition of Sonnet XV (When I consider every thing that grows...) The liner notes for the album contain sixteen of Diane's original watercolour paintings, which were done to accompany the lyrics for each song. Additional information on the project, as well as song clips, can be found at: http://www.dianenalini.com/shakespeare.html