NEWTON ó Elizabeth Scheld Glynn, formerly of Salisbury, has released her debut CD, a collection of jazz standards titled “Where the Heart Is.”
Glynn recorded the CD in July 2006 in Charleston, using some of the finest jazz musicians in the southeast as her backup band. Her mother, Alice Scheld, a jazz pianist in Charleston, was the producer, arranger and pianist. Other featured artists are David Haywood on flute, Lee Barbour on guitar, Todd Urban on bass and Ron Wiltrout on percussion.
Having her mother participate on the project was critical to its success, says Elizabeth. “My mom is the most talented musician I know. Her playing is not just technically correct ó it’s imaginative, beautiful and lush. We have some typical mother-daughter stuff in our relationship, but I trust her implicitly to be my musical mentor. She was able to assemble this incredible group of musicians for me and arrange the songs in such a way that they are fresh and my own.”
Making the CD at this time was important to both mother and daughter, as Alice Scheld suffers from Parkinson’s disease. Playing is becoming more of a challenge as her tremors and balance problems progress.
“I wouldn’t have dreamed of making this CD without her,” says Elizabeth. “Listening to her play at night after I was in bed is my first memory. Her music is so deeply ingrained in who I am. This is a journey we had to take together.”
Mother and daughter chose the songs for the CD together, selecting an unabashedly romantic collection of their favorite jazz standards including “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You, and “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.”
Elizabeth is a 1984 graduate of Salisbury High school. She and her husband Rob and sons Nat and Turner, now live in Newton, where she works as the director of programming for the NewArt School, a position she says fulfills her desires to work in the non-profit sector and the arts.
Still, she says, “Singing is my passion, and it’s one of the things I was put on Earth to do.”
“This CD is a dream come true for me,” Elizabeth says. “I’ve always wanted to sing professionally, but raising children and making a home for my family came first. I don’t have any illusions about being a big star. I just wanted to make this labor of love, to create music that I was proud of and wanted to share with people.”
Elizabeth is hoping that “Where the Heart Is” will help her get singing jobs in the area, but she and her family are already on the the next adventure: adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. The family plans to travel to Africa this summer to meet their new addition, and Elizabeth plans to make helping her daughter adjust to her new life her first priority.
“Singing for an audience will always be one of my great loves,” she says. “But I’m a singer whether I’m doing it on stage, sitting around a campfire or cuddled up with one of my children. And if I never make another CD, I’ve had the tremendous joy of making this one.”
“Where the Heart Is” is on sale at www.elizabethglynn.com or by contacting Elizabeth at 828-244-8398.