VOCALIST AND SONGWRITER ANGIE WELLS’ SOULFUL SECOND ALBUMTRUTH BE TOLD

On TRUTH BE TOLD, singer and songwriter ANGIE WELLS explores the truths of life and living in 13 jazz standards and covers and four original songs. This is Wells’ second release and follows LOVE and MISCHIEF (2017), for which All About Jazz raved, “This performance is simply exceptional…Angie Wells has arrived… big time."

Wells grew up in Philadelphia in a house filled with music. Her mother sang and played gospel piano, and her father was a jazz and blues fan. Her own deep interest in music began when she was just five and Count Basie came to her school and played for her kindergarten class. Although she started singing at a young age in her church choir and continued singing throughout her school and college days, she did not seriously entertain the idea of becoming a professional until she took a trip to Paris to visit a friend. Her friend took her to an intimate supper club in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and encouraged her to sit in with the trio for a few tunes. The response was so positive that she began seriously studying and honing her chops when she returned home to Los Angeles.

After she recorded a demo with Los Angeles jazz luminaries drummer Joe LaBarbera, bassist Tom Warrington, and pianist Bill Cunliffe, it did not take long for Wells to attract the attention of other top jazz musicians in town. Wells became a regular on the L.A. jazz scene and began performing at jazz festivals and other major venues around the country, including the Telluride Jazz Festival, the San Jose Summer Jazz Fest as guest vocalist of Kermit Ruffins, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Friday Night Jazz Series, sponsored by jazz radio station KJAZZ. She also developed a following in France and appeared at The MoZ'aique Festival, Festival Jazz au Chateau, Festival Jazz De Colliure, and Festival Jazz de Monsegur, to name just a few. Her original composition, "She Ain't the Kinda Girl," reached #4 on France's Jazz Radio, and she qualified as a semi-finalist in the first annual Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition.

Produced by legendary bassist JOHN CLAYTON, who is also featured as a special guest in a duet with Wells, TRUTH BE TOLD includes JOSH NELSON (piano), CLAYTON CAMERON (drums), TREVOR WARE (bass), LARRY KOONSE (guitar), JACOB SCESNEY (tenor sax), IVAN MALESPIN (trombone), KYE PALMER (trumpet and flugelhorn), KATISSE BUCKINGHAM (flute), and CAREY FRANK (Hammond B3). Vocalists LYNNE FIDDMONT and VALERIE GEASON provide background vocals on two tracks and vocalist ZION G duets with Wells on one track.

A natural storyteller, Wells’ inspiration for this album came after the brutal death of George Floyd in 2020. Wells relates, “Although I was sad and angry, I felt a glimmer of hope as I watched people of all races, nationalities, cultures, sexual orientations and religions take to the streets together. About two weeks later as I was taking a pleasure drive in silence, I began to hear and feel a melody rise from inside. It was in the form of a deep emotional humming that felt like it came directly from my ancestors. This melody stayed in my head in the following days and began combining with the phrase “truth be told” until a song was born.”

Writing the song “Truth Be Told” became the impetus for Wells to embark on a new recording that would be a collection of original music and covers that spoke to the love, joy, sadness, family, spirituality and hope that give meaning to her life.
Wells wrote four originals for the album. On the title track, "Truth Be Told," Wells doubles down with a finger-snapping a cappella gospel sound that addresses black deaths (detailing many) at the hands of the police, counted with snare shots, and presented as a call to action. “There’s Always Time for Lovin’” speaks to the importance of making time for love in our busy lives. “Talkin’ All Under My Clothes” is a humorous nod to the language of flirtation. The final original, “Where the Livin’ Is Good,” takes a satirical look at being homeless while living in a neighborhood of homes worth millions of dollars.

Wells gets down on "Do I Move You," a sexy, blues featuring Larry Koonse’s greasy guitar solo. Wells breathes new life in the old chestnut "Accentuate the Positive," written in 1944 by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, with a contemporary, R&B-flavored interpretation. "Nick of Time" was a big hit for Bonnie Raitt. Wells’ soulful version features a laid-back solo by Koonse with hip comping on the piano by Josh Nelson.

John Clayton’s arco bass adds a dark undertone to their duet version of “You Don’t Know What Love Is,“ while Wells’ bluesy, gospel-inflected mash-up of "Moanin’/Work Song" features Carey Frank on the Hammond B3 and Katisse Buckingham on flute.
Wells presents four different interpretations of the traditional hymn, "I've Got a Feeling," which she intersperses throughout the album. The first version stays true to the original hymn as an instrumental featuring Nelson and Trevor Ware on bass. On the second version, Wells soulfully hums the tune. The third version is another instrumental featuring John Clayton playing arco bass with Nelson on piano, and the final version is Wells with the full band.
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The pared back instrumentation of guitar and piano highlights Wells’ evocative vocals on the poignant "Here's to Life." She closes the album with "They Can't Take That Away from Me," sung as an a cappella duet with Zion G.
Angie Wells is a multi-talented artist. Besides being an engaging singer with a warm, sensual and bluesy voice, she is also a successful Hollywood makeup artist with two Emmy nominations. She has built a large following of admirers throughout Southern California and France. TRUTH BE TOLD is not only a personal statement from a thoughtful, sensitive singer, it is also a showcase for her impressive songwriting talent.