Winnipeg’s Katrina Van Humbeck has unveiled her new album, Stronger Still. The release is a collection of ten songs focused on the themes of love, hope, and strength. These songs were designed to touch the heart and soul with their sincerity and vulnerability while also being painfully relatable in their stories of God meeting us where we are and in our times of need.
This album is a triumph for Katrina, as she not only sang and played the piano on all of the tracks, but she self-arranged all of the scores, served as executive producer, and personally hand-picked the exceptional Winnipeg-based team who worked alongside her in the recording of this album.
“I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to record with award-winning Assistant Producer/Sound Engineer, John Paul Peters at Private Ear Recording, and to have
brought in some of Canada’s finest to record on my album,” Katrina explains. “The players include Richard Gillis (Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra) on trumpet; Larry Roy (JUNO nominated) on guitar; Karl Kohut (Professor of Jazz Studies) on double bass; and Rodrigo Muñoz (Papa Mambo) on congas. I’m humbled that they agreed to share their talents on my album, and I’m blown away with how beautiful it all turned out.”
Check out the album below, and find out more about Katrina via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Katrina Van Humbeck and I’m a Winnipeg, Manitoba-based vocalist, composer, educator, and dreamer. My jazz fusion style of music (jazz gospel) is inspired by the themes of love, courage, and faith. Some of the highlights of my professional music career to date include being nominated in the WCMA 2020 (Western Canadian Music Awards); releasing two full-length albums of original songs, ‘Blue & Beyond’ in 2017; ‘Doing A New Thing’ in 2018; and anticipating the release of my third full- length album, ‘Stronger Still’ in April 2022. I delight in performing jazz standards and my original music at all venues and events that welcome live music, as a solo artist, in a duo, trio, or with a full ten-piece band. I love laughing, fitness, healthy living, and I’m a mother to three sons and two furry Shih Tzu boys named Rex and Max.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My new album, Stronger Still, is set to release on all the major download sites and in CD form on April 30th, 2022. The inspiration for this album was the verse Isaiah 40:31- ‘But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as Eagles; They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.’ While creating this album, I reached down to my roots of faith in God and out came ‘Stronger Still;’ a collection of ten songs on the themes of love, hope, and strength. These songs were designed to touch the heart and soul because they tell stories that are sincere and full of vulnerability. These songs tell of stories that are relatable, and of God meeting us in our times of need. I feel thankful to be releasing an album into a world that is in need of healing and rebuilding after two years of immeasurable hurt and loss. My hope is that listeners not only enjoy these songs but also find encouragement and renewed strength in their lives.
When it comes to the global pandemic, how are you keeping yourself out in the public eye while not being able to perform?
During the pandemic, I was fortunate to be creating new music, arranging musical scores, and recording tracks for my upcoming album, Stronger Still, and I posted frequently about these exciting events on my social media sites. I periodically video-taped myself performing jazz standards and my original music that I would share on my social media sites (FB, Instagram, YouTube) when I felt inspired to do so. Furthermore, I purposed to share other common day aspects of my life with my listeners on social media that were encouraging and allowed them to feel connected with me.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so if you were able to work with ONE fellow Canadian artist, alive or dead, who would you choose?
I’ve always admired Michael Bublé and thought that doing a few duets with him would be a blast. We both sing jazz styles of music and I believe that our voices would sound great together.
What’s your goal for 2022?
With the release of my new album, Stronger Still, in April 2022, I would love to share this new music with as many listeners as possible. In addition, I purpose to keep learning, honing my music skills, and growing as an artist. Keeping my passion and excitement for making music will always be a goal for me.
Connect with Katrina Van Humbeck:
Website
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Instagram