My favorite Canadian jazz duo are releasing a treat for us all today, just in time for Valentine’s Day, and it’s as sweet as can be. Dizzy & Fay made a collective decision to slowly release the songs from their upcoming debut album, giving us time to enjoy each tune individually, only to leave us craving for more. And rightfully so, because the beautiful music created by this pair should be savored as slowly and lovingly as a double shot of fine bourbon.
Simply stated and perfectly paced, “Walk Me Home” easily warms the heart of any hopeless romantic. Dizzy (Mark Lalama) lures us in with an extended intro of soft piano notes to set the loving mood so beautifully. Immediately I am swaying to the melody, patiently awaiting Fay (Amanda Walther) to ease her way in. Her delicate voice enters, eventually alluding to what I imagine to be a warmly illuminated Parisian alley, serenading her beau as they stroll along bringing their evening to a close: “Walk me home / Take my hand and glide me through the afterglow / Our reflection shining in the cobblestone / I can see a heart I recognize, they’re in your eyes.” My own imagination seamlessly elaborates on the rest of the scene, as Fay offers her closing lines: “It’s so easy being by your side / So walk me home / But please don’t say goodnight.” I almost feel as if I’m intruding upon this couple’s intimate moment. Perhaps their evening is actually just beginning.
Ironically, both artists’ recollections of putting this song together included their own individual visions of Paris, even though they worked on it while apart. Dizzy recounts tickling the ivories of a gorgeous concert Steinway he found in an otherwise empty rehearsal room at the NAC Symphony Orchestra in Ottawa. “I remember playing the melody [sent by Fay] and changed two notes – the second and third of the melody – and all of a sudden I was riding an old-fashioned bicycle in France with a fresh baguette under my arms,” he laughs. “Those two notes informed the rest of the melodic bike route and that gorgeous piano showed me the way home.”
Their collaboration is nothing short of magical, as Fay shares her story of the song’s origins. “The melody was floating around my head for a while, but it was Dizzy’s take on it that really painted the picture for me. He took my melody and transformed it into a story,” she recalls. “When I heard his piano part, I suddenly saw two hearts walking slowly through the dusky streets of Paris. New love with so much to discover. That image, still fresh in my mind, was the inspiration for the lyrics.”
So, go ahead and take your sweetheart for a little stroll after dinner. Pretend you are in Paris, if just for a moment, and enjoy the simplicity of walking hand in hand. “Walk Me Home” is available to stream on your favorite music platforms today.
Jess has always enjoyed a wide range of music genres and eras. Connecting deeply with classical music, she played cello from grade school through high school, and although no longer actively playing, her affinity for finding an emotional connection to music is still strong. Residing in central PA, she is new to the Canadian music scene and enjoys listening to new artists as a way to break away from “the usual.” Jess is an avid yogi who often finds a sliver of peace while on the yoga mat with good music playing in the background.
