Call them “modern standards.” The compositions of the prolific songwriting team of Jeff and Don Breithaupt are clearly modeled on the classic compositions of that golden age of songwriting represented in the Great American Songbook.

 Like such role models as The Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart and Cole Porter, these talented siblings devote themselves to the marriage of lovingly crafted melodies and well-honed lyrics, all arranged intricately, then sung by the cream of the crop of the pop and jazz singers of the era.

Don Breithaupt explains: “When Jeff and I started writing together, there were records by people like Rod Stewart and Natalie Cole, all doing Songbook standards written anywhere from 50 to 80 years ago. We thought, ‘why isn’t anyone now contributing to that songbook?’ We just thought it’d be fun to come up with new material in that vein, and we deliberately used those building blocks.”

Like so many classic songwriting teams, there is a strict division of roles amongst the Breithaupt Brothers: “I’m the composer and Jeff is the lyricist,” says Don. “He can play well enough to write music, but I do that. I can and do write lyrics, but not in this partnership. It works for us.”

A decade of creative collaboration has come to full fruition on The Breithaupt Brothers Songbook Vol. II. This sparkling new album features a star-studded group of A-list Canadian vocalists putting their own distinctive stamp on carefully selected material by the brothers B. Just check out this elite crew tha includes many Grammy and Juno Award winners, platinum-selling and internationally acclaimed artists:

Kellylee Evans, Denzal Sinclaire, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Ron Sexsmith, Jackie Richardson, Heather Bambrick, Marc Jordan, Paul Shaffer, Sophie Milman, Laila Biali, Sarah Slean, Monkey House, Patricia O’Callaghan, Ian Thomas, and Tyley Ross.

Don Breithaupt is quick to stress that “this isn’t just one of those ‘special guests’ compilations you see out there. We have been working with a lot of these people for almost the whole period of our collaboration. They have often done other songs of ours live. We have worked very hard at getting the right people.” Real care was taken to get the ideal match of singer and song on the album: “Jeff calls it casting. We have hundreds of songs to work with, and he put out feelers to people we had a relationship with. When we got a definitive ‘yes,’ we’d come up with a few songs we thought each singer would be good for, and then we’d see which one they picked. That’s how we got our shortlist.”

Watch Jazz After 9 and Le Baiser Salé favourite Catherine Russell perform a Breithaupt Brothers song called The Angels' Share recorded live at Joe's Pub in New York City.  

 

Tune in throughout the  month to hear more tracks from the album on Jazz After 9 with Neil Coligan (Mon-Fri 9:00 PM - Midnight) and Le Baiser Saleé with Roxane Gagné (Sat & Sun 9:00 PM - Midnight) You could even win a $25 McNally Robinson Gift Card just for listening!