In the summer of 2006, NuShooz went back into the studio to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their signature hit “I Can't Wait.” The session produced “I Can't Wait – Unplugged,” an acoustic version of the song with jazz instrumentation and a decidedly laid-back vibe. It came out so good they decided to make a whole album with the same line-up. The result was “Pandora's Box,” a giant leap away from dance-floor pop into the worlds of Film Noir, 60s Spy Movies, and even Tarzan.
The ten-member group includes vibes, upright bass, strings, horns, and percussion, all in service of Valerie Day's supple vocals, and John Smith's mad-scientist approach to arranging.
NuShooz Orchestra continues into the future as a laboratory for sonic exploration. As Valerie said, “We couldn't find the music we wanted to listen to so we had to make it ourselves.”
“Day and the Nu Shooz Orchestra strike a tasty balance between jazz informed, jet-set vintage pop and in-the-pocket shuffle-funk and the results are warm, and deliciously infectious. Day's blithe voice – a honeyed blend of June Christy-Helen Merril cool elegance, shards of both Nancy Wilsons, and a certain Carole King-Joni Mitchell clarity – flirts easily with strings/horn arrangements that manage to evoke both the ultra suede 60s era Marty Paich, and the bump and pulse of modern T.O.P. orchestrated soul.”
– Tim DuRoche, Jazz Journalist
“It's always difficult to remake a classic. What NU SHOOZ has done is something that no one else has been able to accomplish: they've … done something completely different, which is exciting.”
– Dennis Constantine, Program Director, KINK fm102
“Whether it's Steely Dan-ish orientalism (“Welcome to My Daydream”) or bossa nova suavities (“Right Before My Eyes”), a version of the jazz standard “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” that challenges Betty Carter's interpretive ownership, or a subtly transformative take on their own signature hit “I Can't Wait,” these Shooz aren't just new, they're timeless.”
– Marty Hughley, The Oregonian
“The compositions run the gamut of styles, displaying the knowledge and flexibility of the composer, musicians and vocalist, Valerie Day. Throughout, Valerie's voice consistently brings the tunes to life and sets their individual moods…”
– Mary Burlingame, Producer/host-Home Grown Live, KMHD, Public Radio
NU SHOOZ Orchestra is:
Dennis Caiazza - bass
Gary Hobbs - drums
Mike Horsfall - vibes
Paul Mazzio - trumpet and flugel horn
Tim Jensen - saxophones and flute
Lars Campbell - trombone
Justin Kagan - cello
Skip vonKuske - cello
Made up of some of the most accomplished and versatile musicians in the Pacific Northwest, these players performing experiences cover a wide range and include forays into classical, Jazz, Pop, Latin, Rock, R&B, Funk, and Soul. They've worked with some of the best in the business - Jazz icons like Clark Terry, Joshua Redman, The Manhattan Transfer, and Marian McPartland, Motown hitmakers Mary Wilson, The Temptations, and The Four Tops, Pop legends like Julie Andrews, Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Lou Rawls, Natalie Cole, The Ojays, Bobby Vinton, Frankie Vallee, Pink Martini, Dianne Reeves, and Tony Bennett, as well as the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theater, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Westchester Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, and the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico.
PRESS FOR NU SHOOZ ORCHESTRA and "PANDORA'S BOX":