“..While the songs on the record traverse a broad terrain of musical flavors and eras, Kole followed strict criteria when selecting the songs, which helps infuse “A Self-Portrait” with a sense of continuity despite the somewhat disparate material.
“The song has to intrigue me as a listener, and I have to have a great deal of respect for the melody,” she shares.
“..Despite some of the source material, “A Self-Portrait” is a jazz record at its core, which you can hear in Kole’s vocal phrasing and the musical accompaniment. To that end, she said she had previously avoided taking on music from the folk and rock era, but she “got to the point where I could bring something to it.”
“I think these are the next standards,” she says, referring to the work of artists like Mitchell, Nicks and Simon, adding, “To limit yourself as an artist is a very strange thing. It’s too hard for me to choose….”