Return to You was created by the same talented team that put together Yours (including Grammy-award nominated bass master John Clayton as producer, and her equally youthful, all-star LA based band, Josh Nelson (p), Erik Kertes (b), and Matt Slocum (d)). Return to You features well-planned arrangements of more contemporary standards by songwriters Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Harry Connick Jr., and Gillian Welch. Some of the best material, however, comes from Gazarek’s acclaimed pianist, Josh Nelson, as he displays his considerable gifts as a composer and lyricist with four new songs.
In choosing the material for Return to You, Gazarek explains, “our live performances are very different from the record. We do a lot more up-tempo and swinging material. But we felt secure in the base we’d created with Yours and wanted to explore some of our other influences. We wanted this album to have a flow, and a sense of purpose, and we feel the listener will be able to pick up on the part of our souls we gave to this album.” Among the album’s stand out tracks are a playful version of Mitchell’s “Carey,” and a haunting rendition of Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” with an obscure final chorus that has rarely been recorded. Gazarek’s knack for spotting first-rate material shines brightest on “Northern Lights,” a ravishing song written by the brilliant tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake – a collaboration so poignant and engaging that no one should be surprised if the tune ends up spearheading a Norah Jones-like breakthrough.
“Return to You” also introduces a number of new textures and sounds, not explored before on the bands prior release. Strings, guitar, horns, and duet vocals are, as Gazarek puts it “a way to get a message across that we couldn’t express as a quartet.” And while the singer could have had her pick of all-star instrumentalists to feature on her sophomore album, Gazarek, who possesses an easy-going charisma that quietly commands attention, refuses to hog the limelight. “In this band we prefer to keep it in the family, and featured some of our most talented friends,” Gazarek says, humbly, always referring to “we” rather than “I” when speaking of her music, highlighting the indispensability of her band mates. “We truly are a family now, and they are an integral part of the way our sound has progressed.” The quartet works together in shaping arrangements, and each piece is the result of extended collaboration. She notes the importance of this collaboration, “we are constantly learning from one another.”
Born and raised in Seattle, Gazarek grew up without much exposure to jazz. She denotes any and all preliminary jazz education to her high school big band and choir director, Scott Brown. “He afforded us a lot of educational opportunities at festivals and competitions,” Gazarek remembers. As a senior in high school, she was awarded the first ever Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Outstanding Jazz Vocalist Award at the Essentially Ellington Festival in NYC. “I guess you could say my first gig was at Avery Fisher Hall with Wynton Marsalis,” Gazarek chuckles.
Sara made her way south to Los Angeles in 2000 and found herself at the prestigious Thornton School of Music at USC, studying under the tutelage of John Clayton, Shelly Berg, Tierney Sutton, and Carmen Bradford. While there, Sara helped develop the JazzReach program and, as a result, was able to spend 2 years working with inner city elementary school children as a jazz choir director. “I’ll never forget that experience. It is so important to me to be out there, educating young people.” Sara continues to educate young people today as the sole ambassador for the non-profit music and arts education organization, Music For All. Sara and her band give clinics at local schools while on tour, because, as Gazarek puts it, “education is such an important part of our lives, and the band and I know we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that one teacher who showed us the way. It is our duty to give back.”
In 2003, Sara was awarded the 2003 Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Collegiate Vocalist. Shortly after the publication hit the press, Sara was asked to perform with Oleta Adams, Karrin Allyson, and Diane Schuur as the "as yet undiscovered talent" on the Concord Jazz Festival tour. Simultaneously, Gazarek joined a number of a-list clientele (including Barry Manilow and Allyson) as a Stiletto Entertainment (management) client and was soon being booked by the industrious William Morris Agency. “I remember feeling very nervous about it all,” Sara recalls. “I’d had it drilled into me that a strong career at a young age was a fast track to obscurity.”
Luckily, at a time when it would have been easy for Gazarek to lose track of her artistic goals, John Clayton, a mentor and teacher at USC, provided a grounding influence. When record labels first came knocking and she started to question her place, it was Clayton who set her straight. “He said, ‘Sara, everyone has his or her own path, and there’s no path that’s any more respectable than any other,’” she recalls. “‘As long as you do your homework and keep striving to be a better musician, you’ll have a lasting career.’”
Clayton agreed to produce her first album, Yours, and insisted she develop the arrangements herself with the band she’d been performing with. She found musical soul mates in her group, and the resulting record was a debut that was released to national and international rave reviews. It ranked in the Top 10 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts, Top 10 on the iTunes top Jazz Album Downloads (US, UK, Switzerland, and Belgium), #1 on the iTunes Top Jazz Album Downloads (Germany, France), #5 on the Jazz Week Radio Charts, #4 on the HMV (Japan) chart. In addition, Sara was voted the #3 Best New Artist in the JazzTimes Readers Poll.
With her strong sense of gratitude, this talented, graceful, constantly evolving, emotionally direct, label-pushing vocalist will continue to “do her homework.” And judging by her second album, Sara Gazarek is going to have a lot to offer the music scene for many years to come.
You've Changed
Sara Gazarek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That sparkle in your eyes is gone
Your smile is just a careless yawn
You're breaking my heart you've changed
You've changed
Your kisses now are so blase
You're bored with me in every way
You've forgotten the words I love you
Each memory that we've shared
Oh you ignore every star above you
I can't realize you've ever cared
Oh you've changed
You're just not the angel I once knew
No need to tell me that we're through
It's all over now you've changed
You've forgotten the words I love you
Each memory that we've shared
Oh you ignore every star above you
I can't realize you've ever cared
Oh you've changed
You're just not the angel I once knew
No need to tell me that we're through
It's all over now you've changed
You're breaking my heart 'cause you've changed
Oh you've changed
The lyrics to Sara Gazarek's song "You've Changed" describe the emotions of someone who has been let down by their lover. The singer sings about how the person they were once in love with has changed, noting how their eyes used to sparkle and their smile used to be meaningful but now it is just a careless yawn. They mention how the kisses are no longer passionate and the person seems bored with them in every way. Additionally, the singer laments how the person has forgotten the words "I love you" and seems to have forgotten about all the memories they shared together. They conclude by acknowledging that the relationship is over and that the person they were once in love with is not the same person anymore.
The song conveys the sadness and confusion that comes with a relationship falling apart. The lyrics describe how the person they fell in love with is no longer the same and it is evident that the breakup has taken a toll on them. The singer also refers to the stars, which can be metaphorical for the beauty and potential of the relationship, but now the person seems to ignore it. The repetition of the phrase "you've changed" emphasizes the disappointment and heartbreak, and it is also quite relatable for anyone who has experienced a similar situation.
Line by Line Meaning
You've changed
The person to whom the singer is addressing this song has undergone significant changes.
That sparkle in your eyes is gone
The person's eyes no longer have the same bright and lively look that they once did.
Your smile is just a careless yawn
The person's smile is now devoid of joy and enthusiasm, and seems to be an insincere gesture.
You're breaking my heart you've changed
The changes in the person's behavior are causing the singer immense emotional pain.
Your kisses now are so blase
The person's kisses lack the passion and excitement that they used to have.
You're bored with me in every way
The person has lost interest in the singer completely, and doesn't find anything exciting about being around them.
I can't understand you've changed
The singer can't comprehend why the person they knew and loved has turned into someone completely different.
You've forgotten the words I love you
The person no longer expresses their love for the singer in the same way they used to, and it feels like they have completely forgotten those three important words.
Each memory that we've shared
The person seems to have forgotten every moment and experience that they have shared together with the singer.
Oh you ignore every star above you
The person is so consumed by their own changes that they don't appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world around them anymore.
I can't realize you've ever cared
The singer is starting to doubt whether the person ever really cared about them in the first place, or if it was all just an act from the beginning.
You're just not the angel I once knew
The person is no longer the kind, loving, and caring person the singer used to know them to be.
No need to tell me that we're through
The singer has come to the realization that their relationship with this person is over, and there's no need for them to try and explain it any further.
It's all over now you've changed
The singer acknowledges that the changes in the person have brought their relationship to an end, and things will never be the same again.
You're breaking my heart 'cause you've changed
The person's changes have caused the singer deep emotional distress, and they are no longer able to carry on the relationship with them.
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.