Recording artist Sylvia Brooks has starred on the stages of many of the country's most respected theatres, performing the gamut from Shakespeare to American drama, to music theatre-- to sold out performances. Now Ms. Brooks is taking an entirely different direction, and has just released her first album.

For the last two years, she has been involved in a serious collaboration with some of Los Angeles' best musicians. Together, they are bringing new and original arrangements to the Great American Songbook and timeless jazz classics. “This album is filled with the music and songs I grew up hearing as a child,” says Brooks. “But it is only now that I finally feel that I can do justice to this great music. It has taken time, and now life has led me to this place. We have developed this project in rehearsal and in a number of performances at The Jazz Bakery, The Catalina Bar & Grill and M Bar.” Those performances garnered Brooks and her musicians six Critic's Choice picks in the Los Angeles Times Calendar under Jazz and World Artists.

No stranger to Jazz, Brooks was born and raised in Miami, and grew up in a musical family. Her father, a well-known jazz pianist, arranged, composed and played for such luminaries as Peggy Lee, Stan Getz, Dizzie Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn and Harry James. Her mother sang at the Eden Rock and Fountain Bleu hotels, and later appeared in opera and concert in the United States and Europe. She worked with many legendary artists and as artistic director of a major company; went on to produce many productions of opera.

At a young age, Brooks was invited to study classical theatre at the prestigious American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco, which led to her invitation to join the Company, followed by a growing career of performances with numerous companies. Her experience as a serious actor can be found in her singing, bringing new insights into every song. “This music speaks to me,” she says. “It is timeless, yet it is so fresh and new there is always something to discover in it. The great singers of the past didn't just sing -- they took you on a journey. They embodied each song with passion and brought their lives to the music. Sadly, it has become a lost art form; I want to bring it back to life.”

As one critic said, “It's as if Brooks has lived this music; she and her musicians share an understanding of just what it is saying. I felt that I was actually hearing many of these songs for the first time. They take you on a journey, and bring something innovative and alive to the stage.”

“Sylvia Brooks is certainly here; and that is definitely a great thing.”