Christmas is a time of warmth, friendship, good tidings, and love, hopefully for most people. It’s also a time of hearing Christmas standards that are etched in people’s memories and passed down through generations. Putting one’s signature on such classics is an extremely tall order but for Scarborough, Ontario-born and now Ottawa-based jazz soul singer Kellylee Evans, she’s done just that with a soothing new single “Winter Song” from her excellent new album also entitled Winter Song (Enliven Media).
Evans, the Juno Award-winning vocalist, says the inspiration for “Winter Song” came from “reflecting on the sights and sounds” she associates with Canadian winters. From the crunching of snow or the cracking of ice during winter walks to the pangs of being apart from family and loved ones during the festive season.
“I think as an only child, growing up watching holiday movies and consuming so much media of warm, cozy homes filled with happy families gathered around, I had a sense of longing for that and wanting to create that when I grew up,” she says. “But as an adult, I now know how complicated those manufactured images of an ideal family life can be. Family is what we make all around us. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be alone as well.”
“Winter Song,” written by Evans and the lone original found on Winter Song, is a lovely track led by her velvety vocals and a supporting cast that makes the single sound ridiculously smooth and soothing. Singing about wanting to “love a little longer today,” Evans’ softer delivery is incredibly alluring and compelling. Meanwhile, the closing moments feature a slow-building but brilliantly executed, inventive, and refreshing outro. In short, it’s an instant yuletide signature while recalling vocalists like Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Billie Holiday, and Shirley Horn.
Evans and Steve Foley (J-Cole, Chad Kroeger, Carly Rae Jepsen) co-produced “Winter Song,” which was arranged by Evans along with keyboardist Steve Boudreau, bassist Chris Pond, drummer/percussionist Stephen Adubofuor, guitarist Ben Di Millo, and Clayton Connell. The song was recorded and mixed by Foley (with assistant engineer Gabriel Merino) at Audio Valley Recording Studio and mastered by Jason Fee at Conduction Mastering.
The single “Winter Song” is the title cut from Evans’ album Winter Song, a gorgeous 11-track affair co-produced by Evans and Foley and featuring one original and an eclectic array of standards and covers ranging from Joni Mitchell’s “River” and a toe-tapping cover of Irving Berlin’s “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm,” to a rather stripped down approach for Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Other highlights include a reworked and effective rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” while “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree,” made famous by Brenda Lee, is another top-notch effort. Aside from the dynamic Evans and the aforementioned musicians who arranged “Winter Song,” flugelhorn player Ed Lister appears on the album. And In addition to production and engineering duties, Steve Foley and Gabriel Merino provided additional percussion and backing vocals, respectively.
Evans says Winter Song’s inspiration came from growing up in Scarborough while her mother, a single mom, worked various shifts as a nurse. The result was sometimes being at work during Christmas Day or possibly New Year’s Eve, the two big occasions before the turning over of a new year. “Some of my earliest memories are of opening presents with her on the phone while she worked,” Evans recalls. “I didn’t complain. That’s just the way it was.”
Listening to various Christmas albums by Nat King Cole, Elvis and her personal favorite Christmas With Boney M., Evans and her mom made the most of the occasion. “My mom always found a way to make it feel magical,” Evans says. “And music was part of that magic. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to make a holiday album of my own one day, and this is it!”
Winter Song is the latest album from Evans in a career that has been rich and rewarding. Evans released her debut effort Fight Or Flight? in 2006, which put her on the musical map. Subsequent studio albums include 2010’s The Good Girl and Nina, 2013’s I Remember When, and 2015’s Come On. She’s also released EPs including 2021’s Greenlight and 2024’s Show Love. Having opened for the likes of Willie Nelson, John Legend, and George Benson among others, Evans survived a lightning strike in 2013 which she’s survived and persevered through, giving speeches about coping with her pain and pain management. And she also can be found performing national anthems at Toronto Raptors and Ottawa Senators games.
Now with a single “Winter Song,” and an album Winter Song, Kellylee Evans will be touring Quebec and Ontario in late November and December before more dates commence next February. Fans of timeless holiday music would be well advised to add “Winter Song” and Winter Song to their selections of timeless Christmas standards. It’s a single and album Santa already has on his own list! And you should too!
Here are Kellylee Evans tour dates:
November 26, 2024 — Carleton Dominion Chalmers — Ottawa, ON (Ottawa Jazz Festival Holiday Fundraiser)
November 29, 2024 — Massey Hall — Toronto, ON (Women’s Blues Revue)
December 6, 2024 — Empire Theatre — Belleville, ON (Sean Jones Holiday Soul)
December 7, 2024 — National Arts Centre — Ottawa, ON
December 12, 2024 — Salle Bourgie — Montreal, QC
December 13, 2024 — Hugh’s Room Live — Toronto, ON
February 13, 2025 — Hermann’s Jazz Club — Victoria, BC
February 15, 2025 — Anvil Theatre — New Westminister, BC
February 22, 2025 — Aurora Cultural Centre — Aurora, ON
April 24, 2025 — Koerner Hall — Toronto, ON (Guest of The Breithaupt Brothers)
