Raves
"Over a century after the birth of Lena Horne, how gratifying to see her legacy perpetuated with as much musicality, originality, heart, and fighting spirit as Clairdee shows on this album."
—James Gavin, author of Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne
“In creating her exquisite, deeply heartfelt, sensual and rhythmically energizing and soul empowering homage A Love Letter to Lena, Clairdee does more than pay homage to a personal cultural hero. She waited until the sociopolitical climate was just right to use Horne’s inspiration to create a visionary masterwork that would draw on and build from her classic catalogue to fashion an impactful, relevant statement for our time…This is one love letter you’ll fall deeply and madly in love with!”
—Jonathan Widran, The JWVibe
“Clairdee gives us a most spirited and inventive jazz vocal set in tribute to Lena…a rich vocal style that will thrill your ears!”
—Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews
"A recording that fulfills not just from good-sounding music, but with unexpected heartfelt sentiments... by amplifying the musical performances with notes from the artist to be honored, she not only entertains audiences, she teaches them. That does not always happen in any music genre. ' A Love Letter to Lena' certainly shows Clairdee's appreciation of Horne. It shows through in every note, every word."
—Dodie Miller-Gould, Lemonwire
"For her latest release A Love Letter to Lena Clairdee paints a loving, and at times fierce, biographical portrait of one of the most beloved artists of the 20th century, vocalist-actress-social activist Lena Horne, who certainly wore proudly the label race woman. Seldom considered in the pantheon of jazz singers, nonetheless Lena certainly earned her stripes in that arena, but tribute projects like this one are rare."
—Willard Jenkins, Independent Ear