All sessions, all styles — singer —— and versatile, experienced songwriter and lyricist. First discovered by Jimmy Haslip (the Yellowjackets). Highly praised in Jazz Times, and my own records have been signed to Blue Canoe Records.
I’m a singer’s singer; I sing for the entertainment and interest of other singers and musicians. My own style can shift slightly when I’m covering different vibes and genres.
I have been featured on recordings with Scott Kinsey, Tim Lefebvre, Jimmy Haslip, Gary Novak, Jimmy Earl, Michael Landau, Oz Noy, Scott Henderson, Danny Carey, Seamus Blake, Hadrien Feraud…
I self record and engineer in my own treated space. I pay attention to details and I don’t stop until it sounds better than I found it. I like to give something beautiful in all situations, and when I am in charge of my vocals, I engineer and edit the takes myself. I layer harmonies and might tune them unnoticeably. I try to communicate when I sing, matching the vocal to the vibe. I bring in my ideas and I can rewrite any song into something we both like. 1-4 week turnaround usually for an advanced process such as this… a day or less process for a pre written harmony line over a complete track.
Did I also mention - I can sight read!
I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.
Languages
- English
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Interview with Meredith Salimbeni
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: My solo album with Scott Kinsey - Adjustments. Available on Spotify. It’s got my songs and it was my first step outside of my former sound.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: A live Weather Report big band record where I sang one song on the Köln Philharmonic stage… we are producing a studio perfect live recording now of this. Also, I’m making a song with Mohini Dey (bass), it’s pretty cool! And I have a group of friends we call FYSTS, and we are releasing videos we made at East West Studios in Hollywood.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Tim Lefebvre - Bass. Scott Kinsey - keyboards and producer. Mohini Dey (are you on here?) -bass Junior Braghuina - bass Hadrien Feraud - bass (are you on here?)
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I can work with whatever you’ve got or prefer. I personally use digital because it’s sounding amazing nowadays. I’m keeping up on the latest plugin updates.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to ensure to the best of my ability we achieve music we both like. I strive to create things that are timeless whenever that is a possibility.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The entire art of singing creatively and professionally.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Yes.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That my job is simple, fast, and easy. No. I spend 20 hours maybe, to perfect a vocal song. Maybe there’s writing I’m doing, tracking multiple parts, making ideas that become definitive for your song. Plus there’s my editing and mixing, which is a week or so, at least. So, it’s more than anybody even thinks. Not to mention, it takes a lot of time in one’s life to become a ME.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: …”so let me hear it”
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make your tracks for me first. If you need help making pro tracks I can recommend people on this site! Start with a keyboard player producer. It always turns out best. Prepare to spend, when it comes to then getting great players. You need to pay me, and also them. So keep a budget.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My 4 piece recording setup and a battery. Plus a great producer.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: Singer through and through. Started at age 3 when my mom put me onstage. Pretended to pee in my hat and got kicked out. I immediately went back and got in again. Spent the rest of my life singing. I was performing in Broadway shows for 8 years, choirs for 5, rock/blues career for a decade after that, and jazz fusion records for the last 4 years. I have made a living since 18!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: The unique voice known as Mer Sal- one foot in the 20th century vintage R&B/Rock/Pop vibes mentally, mixed with a gritty used up jazz funk chest voice and breathy beautiful head voice… Dynamic voice- multiple sounds in one!
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: It was Jeff Beck. His tracks have so much room. Paul McCartney is my equal favorite. I appreciate a great songwriter. And his rock voices/song characters he goes into… he invented them!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Plugins are everything… they can make your great mic even greater. A little tuning (not over tuning) is okay.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: It’s all varied at this time of my career. I’ve done a lot of pop, blues, R&B, classical, cinematic, jazz fusion, jazz, rock, heavy rock, folk… The last three projects have been one jazz fusion and one track with one of rock’s most beloved metal drummers.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I can sound like anything. I can seriously be a bird. Or Whitney Houston. I can mimic anything. I can bring absolutely any sound or idea into a song I’m singing.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I sing it like I mean it. I bring beauty.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: No project is the same. But my favorite one was one where a producer made the tracks and hired me to write and sing whatever I felt. So I wrote all my parts and worked a few weeks on adding and perfecting parts digitally and sent all of the stems back to him. He was pleased and I had the time to make it better than it would’ve been.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Lauten LT-386 (new), Bock/Soundeluxe, MOTU interface, Digital Performer and able to work on other DAWS. Latest WAVES plugins. Various voice plugins…
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Inspired by working closely a few years with Scott Kinsey (Producer and engineer for such music projects as Oceans 11/David Holmes films, Tribal Tech, Scott Henderson, ARC trio, Human Element, Tim Hagans, Mike Miller, Zawinul/Faces and Places…. I consider him special…
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Songwrite and Engineer, Produce my Vocals
- Singer - FemaleContact for pricing
- Songwriter - LyricContact for pricing
- Top line writer (vocal melody)Contact for pricing
- Songwriter - MusicContact for pricing
- Vocal compingContact for pricing
- Vocal TuningContact for pricing
- Post EditingContact for pricing
Turnaround and communications based on project. Half due up front.
- Lauten
- Sequential
- Mac Book Pro
- Motu M4
- Arturia synths
- WAVES voice plugins
- Manny Audio
- Melodyne
Contact me for special rates!
