Douyé steps into new territory with fresh album

Nigerian-born jazz vocalist and songwriter, Douyé, has entered a new phase of her career with Stay With Me, her sixth album and first jazz project to feature her own original songs.

A statement shared with Society Plus stated that the 13-track album combines three original compositions written by Douyé and Rufus Bordal with standards from the Great American Songbook.

Legendary pianist, George Cables, arranged and co-produced much of the standards material and played piano on most of the tracks.

It added, “The New York recording sessions featured bassist Sean Conly and drummer Jerome Jennings, alongside guest appearances from saxophonist Craig Handy and trumpeters Joe Magnarelli and John Bailey.”

Douyé also worked with pianist and arranger Mina Choi on the original compositions, which were recorded in Los Angeles with a separate ensemble.

The standards featured on the album include Autumn in New York, It’s a Lovely Day, Love You Madly, Days of Wine and Roses, I’ve Never Been in Love Before and You Go to My Head.

The original songs are the title track, Where to Be and Day to Day.

The closing track, Day to Day, has a particularly personal significance for Douyé. She co-wrote the song with Bordal in memory of her late father, Landy Youduba, who introduced her to jazz while she was growing up in Lagos and encouraged her musical development.

Douyé began her career exploring R&B and soul before gradually moving towards jazz. Her previous releases include Daddy Said So, Quatro (Bossa Nova Deluxe) and The Golden Sèkèrè, which incorporated African percussion and rhythmic influences into a programme of jazz standards.

Reflecting on her career, Douyé said, “My music has been praised for its emotional depth and powerful storytelling, and I have been recognised for my contributions to jazz music. I also have a record label, Groove Note Records, because I believe it is important to support fellow artistes.”

She added that her music was driven by a desire to promote hope, love and unity.

“By sharing my gift, I hope to spread the message of hope, love and unity to people all over the world. Whether it is through a live performance, a recorded album or a social media post, I believe that every opportunity to share my gift is an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life,” she said.