RELEASES BRAND NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR ALBUM TRACK REVIVAL – WATCH HERE

HOSTS ONLINE ALBUM RELEASE PARTY
LAUNCHING TODAY AT 12 PM EST

LIVESTREAM CONCERT TO TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK

Toronto, ON – March 27, 2020 – Today, JUNO Award winning artist, Laila Biali, unleashes her highly anticipated, deeply personal new album, Out of Dust via Chronograph Records. In celebration of the record, Laila will be hosting a livestreamed album release party today, kicking off at 12:00 p.m. EST. The event will see Biali sharing stories about the new songs, and will include live performances, interactive Q&As with viewers, a live interview with RX Music Live’s Master T, and more. Full details and a schedule of events can be found here. Laila will also be giving a special livestreamed performance next week, where fans will be able to experience the new album “live” in concert.

Co-produced by Biali and her husband, Ben Wittman, Out of Dust is a celebration of life; warm and uplifting, even as it confronts Biali’s recent challenges. For nearly every major triumph—a highly acclaimed return to jazz, winning the JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year, touring the world—she faced private debilitating crises. In just a few short years, Biali lost a close friend to cancer, mourned a family member’s suicide, and was diagnosed with two auto-immune disorders that threatened to upend her career. It was a period of change and heartache—but it was also a season of great inspiration and hope. These themes of overcoming and hope run deep throughout Out Of Dust.

The political is personal on the brassy album opener, Revival; transforming global tumult into an inspiring call-to-arms, Biali sings with the clear-eyed confidence of a warrior, “There’s a fire underground / Come on down”. This fervour animates the entire album, even in its quieter, more personal moments, like on Wendy’s Song – a piano ballad dedicated to the friend Biali lost to cancer – turning the details of a single life into a powerful epic. Glass House – which Biali wrote with her husband – frankly addresses the after-effects of a family member’s suicide, while Take the Day Off – a lullaby written with her nine-year-old son – bluntly acknowledges the reality of healing, with Biali singing that it’s okay to “pull the sheets over your head” and “unwind” when you need to.

“We are in an unprecedented time in history. Initially, I wondered if it would be wise to delay the release of my new album, but the themes behind the songs on Out of Dust feel like they tie-in with the present moment,” Laila reflects. “Now, more than ever, music can be a vehicle for healing and catharsis, and if I get to be part of the good news in people's lives, I consider that a great privilege. We may not know exactly what the future holds, but we do know what we can bring to each day – and for me, that's music.”

In addition to contributions from Biali’s husband and son, Out of Dust features multiple GRAMMY nominees and winners including Lisa Fisher, Alan Ferber, John Ellis, and Larnell Lewis.

Multi-award-winning singer, songwriter and pianist, Laila Biali, has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents, from New York City's Carnegie Hall to Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts, and supported international icon Sting. In addition to her 2019 JUNO Award win, she was awarded top prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition in the Jazz category, and was also the youngest-ever double winner at Canada’s National Jazz Awards, where she was named SOCAN Composer of the Year and Keyboardist of the Year. She received her first JUNO nomination for Tracing Light (2011), and a spot-on DownBeat Magazine's Best Albums of the Year for Live in Concert (2013). In September of 2017, Laila was brought on as the host for CBC Music's national radio show, Saturday Night Jazz, a weekly show broadcast to listeners across Canada. While Laila continues to earn high honours in the Jazz world, her signature sound transcends genre as she "masterfully mixes jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs that are concise and catchy" (Washington Post).

DOWNLOAD – hi-res photo | DOWNLOAD – album cover artwork

www.lailabiali.com

About Chronograph Records:
Chronograph Records is a boutique record label that works closely with artists who are looking for an insightful and collaborative partnership. Representing some of the best jazz, urban acoustic, and blues artists in Western Canada, Chronograph Records strategically helps develop their roster, allowing the artists to evolve into exactly who they're supposed to be. Since the label's 2004 inception, Chronograph artists have garnered numerous award nominations, most recently culminating in a JUNO Award win, multiple Canadian Country Music Awards, a TD Grand Jazz Award, Global Music Awards, a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, and Canadian National Smooth Jazz Award winners.