New Era for Laura French
Local jazz artist Laura French brings her longtime favorites to streaming platforms for the first time
By: Jordan Blomquist
Laura French is stepping into something new. You’ve seen her around town performing at local venues and restaurants with her smooth vocals and jazz-inspired sound. Now, after years of requests, she’s finally doing what fans have been asking for: She’s bringing her voice to streaming platforms. “This has been something that I've wanted to do for such a long time,” French says. “Having a presence on streaming platforms legitimizes you as an artist, and it’s something I’ve thought very seriously and carefully about doing.”
French wanted to pick a couple of songs that honor her past and where she is going as an artist. A cover of “On the Street Where You Live,” from My Fair Lady, first produced on Broadway in 1956, will be available on September 5. French is releasing a cover of “The Trolley Song,” written by Judy Garland for the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis, on September 19.
Laura French - On the Street Where You Live
These songs have been with French for years. She started theater at age 9 with Springfield Little Theatre and has loved music and performance ever since. In the last few years, she began studying jazz more seriously, deepening her connection to the genre. French has been studying voice with Detroit-based jazz musician Olivia Van Goor, who encouraged her to start releasing music. She flew to Detroit to record the songs with Van Goor in attendance. Matt Ryan played bass, and Mike Harrison played piano. “Now that I've taken this first leap, and I’m putting songs out there, I want to do it more,” French says.
French turned to Van Goor and valued her feedback in preparing for the recording process. As a self-described perfectionist, the idea of releasing something so permanent and public felt intimidating. To push past that, she made a bold choice: no edits, no cuts. The tunes were recorded in a home studio with Harrison and Ryan, and each song was recorded three times before they landed on the right take. “Third time’s a charm,” she says.
Laura French - The Trolley Song
French says listeners who know her live shows won’t be surprised by these recordings. It’s the classic Laura French that we all know and love. Right now, she’s diving deep into artists who challenge her, especially Chet Baker. She’s fascinated by his unique phrasing and tone—qualities she doesn’t naturally have but is eager to explore. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae remain her gold standards, inspiring her to grow and experiment across genres. Looking ahead, she hopes to release a holiday single next year, with a longtime favorite, “Pure Imagination,” also on her radar.
Through this milestone, French is still growing and evolving. “I would like to continue to get better at improvisation,” she says, “making phrases my own, continuing to honor jazz as it was and has been.”
Presave Laura French’s songs below:
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