FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Miller Wright / Dan Fortune at (212) 977-7800

CELEBRATED SINGER AND SONGWRITER

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY

RELEASES HER POWERFUL DEBUT CD ON TELARC INTERNATIONAL

"BLUES IN THE NIGHT"

FEATURING SHERRIE MARICLE AND THE DIVA JAZZ ORCHESTRA AND JAZZ ALL-STARS TED ROSENTHAL, CHRISTIAN McBRIDE & LEWIS NASH ARRANGEMENTS BY TOMMY NEWSOM, MATT CATINGUB, BILL MAYS & OTHERS

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY, the multiplatinum-selling songwriter and singer, signed with the Grammy Award winning label Telarc International last year and the result is the thrilling new CD Blues In The Night. Perhaps best known for writing the theme to the TV hit "The Nanny" and songs for Barbra Streisand - and soon to make her Hollywood screen debut opposite Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie in the Robert DeNiro film The Good Shepherd - Ann has released a successful string of critically-acclaimed albums of standards and originals.

This new recording features performances by Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra and arrangements by Tommy Newsom, Johnny Carson's longtime musical director on "The Tonight Show," Matt Catingub, Bill Mays and Ms. Callaway. The CD's 12 tracks will be available on iTunes, in addition to an original love ballad, "You Are You," which Telarc will offer as an internet exclusive. The CD was released online and in stores nationwide on August 22, 2006.

Blues In The Night is a dynamic and stirring collection of American Songbook classics, mixed with potent and witty original songs. The recording contains several jazz standards, but with arrangements and interpretations far from standard. "This is the feistiest, gutsiest, most let-your-hair-down CD I've ever recorded," Ann laughs. "There are quiet and reflective moments and you will also hear me wail. The album expresses the full range of who I am and, of all my recordings, it comes closest to the feel of a live concert."

Ann is excited to be joined by drummer Sherrie Maricle and her all-female Diva Jazz Orchestra. "I have wanted to sing with them ever since I heard their first CD years ago. I was simply knocked out by their talent." They finally joined forces during a very special engagement at Lincoln Center's Women in Jazz Festival last year, which was followed by an extended run at the famous Blue Note jazz club. "Having spent so long as a solo artist, I find a great artistic camaraderie singing with orchestras and big bands," Ann says. "Sherrie has gathered a remarkable group: women with amazing spirit, humor and spontaneity. Musical chemistry is important of course, but so is personal chemistry. It's more than a job for these dedicated players, it's an emotional investment with their music."

"Swinging Away The Blues," the vibrant opening track, perfectly encapsulates the thought behind the entire recording. "My father would sing and scat around the house," Ann remembers "which began my lifelong love for jazz and swing. I want this CD to be a celebration of the power of music to uplift us. We all have to deal with everyday pressures and challenges. Enjoying great music is one of the best ways to get through the hardships of life."

The CD's title track, heard here in an all-stops-out rendition of the Arlen classic, is a fitting centerpiece for the album. Since she first performed it a few years ago in the Broadway musical Swing!, it has become a signature song for Ann and her interpretation has grown and deepened over time. "I grew up with the idea that in music, beauty was essential," she explains, "but I've come to realize that sometimes it's more important to be real then to be beautiful. I have opened up emotionally since I first sang this song. It's as if it unlocked a door in me and I could finally tap into powerful feelings I never knew were there."

Similarly, Ann's driving and intense arrangement of "Blue Moon" - originally created for a special Richard Rodgers centennial tribute - lets her explore colors of her voice and spirit missing from past recordings.

The scintillating medley of two Harold Arlen torch songs, "Stormy Weather" and "When The Sun Comes Out," was arranged by Ann for her to sing in the Broadway musical Swing!, (for her memorable performance in the show, Ann was honored with a Tony Award nomination). The number was cut from that production, but Ann later performed it around the country in duet with Michael Feinstein. The recording on this CD features Ann's sister Liz Callaway, Tony Award nominated Broadway star of Cats, Miss Saigon and Baby.

Ann is pleased to finally record "The I'm-Too-White-To-Sing The-Blues Blues," a comical send-up of her name being confused with her would-be relatives Lionel Hampton and Cab Calloway. "Almost all of my favorite singers are black. I used to ask myself all time: 'why was I born with this skin color?' It's a very common feeling among musicians." This winking nod to her idols like Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan has long been an audience favorite.

"Hip To Be Happy," another number intended for Swing!, was written to reflect Ann's perennial upbeat attitude. "We live in a culture that deifies misery," Ann reflects, "There is a widespread attitude that to be a real artist you need to drink a bottle of scotch every day and destroy yourself. But a positive outlook can be your best friend. This song is my Lambert, Hendricks & Ross-inspired spin on the subject."

"No One Is Alone," the lilting and tender ballad, is Ann's first solo recording of a song by Stephen Sondheim. "I wanted to include something inspiring on the CD," Ann says. "In these increasingly stressful times, we tend to feel more alienated and forget how important it is to connect with each other." In her graceful and delicate reading, Ann reminds us of this with her trademark supple tones.

Because he is renowned for his witty wordplay, Cole Porter is often overlooked as a composer and lyricist of deep passion and strong emotion. Ann brings out the sensuous undertones and deep yearning of "It's All Right With Me," a number usually done with more swagger and at a much faster pace. "To me, this song expresses the pent-up desire to be with someone you just can't be with. I think we've all felt that."

"I feel like I've put my own stamp on these songs," Ann concludes, "and I hope my listeners can find new truth in them. There is nothing like hearing a vintage song that we all know and love, yet feeling like you are hearing it for the first time." Indeed, Ann has accomplished her goal: Blues In The Night - frisky and fun, yet intimate and introspective - truly offers something for everyone.

TELARC INTERNATIONAL, now in its twenty-eighth year as one of the world's most distinguished independent recording companies, has been honored with forty-nine Grammy Awards for performance, production and engineering. Other important awards have included the French Grand Prix du Disque and Diapason d'Or; Japan's Record of the Year; and Germany's Audiophile CD of the Year. Although it began as a classical label, the Cleveland-based company now boasts a catalog of over 600 recordings in a variety of genres, ranging from classical and classical-crossover to contemporary blues and jazz. Telarc releases approximately fifty-five recordings each year, working with a host of jazz headliners including Dave Brubeck, The Manhattan Transfer, McCoy Tyner, John Pizzarelli, Tierney Sutton and Janis Siegel.