Rachel Lauren is at the beginning of her career but already has a mature voice, sensitivity to lyrics and the ability to make vintage standards sound worth hearing again. She made her stage debut in musical theater when she was five, appeared in a couple of dozen shows, and discovered jazz when she was 14. Now 21, the USC student has her debut recording out on her own new label. Joined by guitarist Ross Grant, bassist Daniel Fabricant, drummer Brian Carmody and tenor-saxophonist Kirk Hamilton, Ms. Lauren performs ten familiar standards including “You Stepped Out Of A Dream,” “Solitude,” “The Shadow Of Your Smile” and “Caravan.” She has a very attractive voice and improvises well, particularly for her age. The material could be fresher but this is an excellent start and she certainly has plenty of potential. She clearly has a lot of talent and Away From The Crowd (available from www.rachellauren.com) is a very good first step for Rachel Lauren.

                                                                                                        LA Jazz Scene, August 2008
                                                                                                                              - Scott Yanow
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Rachel Lauren Udall was born to sing. After making her stage debut in musical theater at the age of five, she excitedly exclaimed to her mother, “Do you mean I can do this for the rest of my life?” At the age of 15, after more than 25 musical theater productions, Rachel discovered Jazz. She is currently a Music Industry and Jazz major on scholarship at the USC Thornton School of Music, where she finds the time to continue and self-manage her career as a performer, run her own record company, volunteer weekly at local elementary schools and stay on the honors list.

“Rachel Lauren Udall is setting a new standard in modern jazz.  Rachel's ability to channel the spirit of great singers from an era long since gone, merged with her intuitive gift and youthful sensibilities bring us something fresh, yet completely familiar. In an age where computers help correct pitch, time and phrasing, Rachel's vocals are untouched. Her live performances are as stunning as her studio recordings. It's rare and refreshing for a producer to have a chance to work with such a talented young artist. Rachel's future burns bright and her timeless style ensures that her music will be here to stay.”
Chris Camozzi – Producer

“We were thrilled with Rachel’s performance at our event. She has an unbelievable voice, and even better, knows how to use it! The sophistication and style she brings to her performance is fresh, yet reminiscent of Diana Krall. I think she's immensely talented.”
Allison Simpson – Director, Public Relations, Beringer Vineyards

Singing classic jazz standards fueled by raw emotion and an innovative style, Rachel Lauren is an artist who will not only delight your ear, but revive your spirit. One can hardly imagine she’s just 23! Rachel’s ability to appeal to fans in her own age range all the way up to long time jazz listeners sets her apart from other young artists. With the self release of her first album away from the crowd, Rachel has succeeded in stepping away from the anonymity of the larger music scene and into a spotlight of her very own.

As a vocal stylist, Rachel pays homage to the music that created jazz, flavoring it with original emotional expression. “Its not about how many notes or beats you have,” says Rachel, “If you have people feeling something, feeling what you are feeling, that’s what jazz is about.” Rachel infuses this mantra into jazz standards, reviving vintage tunes with an emotional interpretation of her own.

With her sultry and mature tone Rachel accepts the challenge of making an old song feel new, giving an enchanted twist to words that have been performed by generations of jazz artists before her. As a young person, Rachel brings pop and rock influences like Stevie Wonder, and casts them into a jazz mold, thus creating a sound that is both familiar and fresh.

According to Rachel, this “freshness” is what she strives for to make her music different from her contemporaries. In away from the crowd Rachel accepts the challenge of a traditional vocal stylist by presenting a collection of jazz classics, but expressed as a new emotional encounter. In her album, Rachel not only respects the great heritage of jazz music, but participates in it as well.