“...what draws us in most is the songwriting. Inspired by the Great American Songbook, Lalama and Walther have given us a set of songs that are both lyrically and musically strong and stylized, yet heartfelt.”
Dizzy & Fay
Mark Lalama, piano
Amanda Walther, vocals
Dizzy & Fay: the newest project from songwriters Mark Lalama and Amanda Walther. Based in Southern Ontario, the piano/vocal duo has released two full-length recordings of original music and is currently spinning on jazz radio stations throughout the United States and Canada. With compositions that are heartfelt and familiar, Dizzy & Fay craft songs that sound like timeless classics you’ve loved your entire life and their intuitive musical chemistry is captivating on stage, where audiences are fast becoming lifelong fans. Wholenote Magazine gave their new album ‘Hooked’ a glowing review, calling them “Highly musical tunesmiths and storytellers” and it was named “Ringer of the Week” at Jazz Weekly. It’s clear that with two albums in two years, the Dizzy & Fay Songbook is only just beginning.
Dizzy is Mark Lalama - singer/songwriter/pianist/producer, he has performed extensively and recorded/toured with countless artists including Guido Basso, Molly Johnson, Jackie Richardson, Marc Jordan, Chrissie Hynde, Olivia Newton John, Harry Manx, and many more.
Fay is Amanda Walther - Juno nominated singer-songwriter and award winning composer from Toronto, Amanda has spent most of her career as half of acclaimed folk-roots duo Dala, and recently composing music for film.
People are talking…
“Dizzy & Fay are at it again. With Hooked, their second release in just two years…what draws us in most is the songwriting. Inspired by the Great American Songbook, Lalama and Walther have given us a set of songs that are both lyrically and musically strong and stylized, yet heartfelt.” — Cathy Riches for The Wholenote READ FULL ARTICLE
“Walther’s dusky, sensual, pitch-perfect voice (bringing to mind Julie London) is the ideal companion for Lalama’s sensitive piano work…Make no mistake – Dizzy and Fay are highly musical tunesmiths and storytellers.” — Lesley Mitchell-Clarke for The Wholenote READ FULL ARTICLE
“Terpsichore, the goddess of music , will have her way with us mere mortals and in the blip of time Dizzy & Fay became a creative and musical entity, noted for Fay’s smouldering sexuality and Dizzy’s magic fingers. Which brings us gliding up in a vintage Cadillac to sophomore album, Hooked. Dizzy, Fay, a killer band, a horn section and 28 strings later, Hooked is a thank you card to the American Songbook” — Lenny Stoute, BTW
“Dizzy and Fay’s skillfully crafted songs sound like timeless classics; their combined musicianship and vocal delivery are delightfully refreshing and pleasing to the ear!”
MARK LALAMA (AKA DIZZY)
Canadian songwriter/pianist/producer Mark Lalama began performing professionally at age 12. His original performing and recording projects include The Mark Lalama Trio, Accordion Crimes, Sisters Euclid, and Dizzy & Fay. He has performed extensively across Canada, the U.S.A., and internationally, and can be heard performing on dozens of studio recordings. He has also recorded and/or toured with many artists including Guido Basso, Molly Johnson, Jackie Richardson, Marc Jordan, John McDermott, Chrissie Hynde, Olivia Newton John, Harry Manx, Tom Cochrane and many more. He is an acclaimed pianist/producer/writer who has worked with some of the top Canadian jazz artists including legends like Jackie Richardson, Marc Jordan, Guido Basso, and Molly Johnson.
AMANDA WALTHER (aka fay)
Juno nominated singer-songwriter and award winning composer from Toronto, Amanda has spent most of her career as half of acclaimed folk-roots duo Dala; touring throughout North America for over 18 years. She has shared the stage with numerous artists including Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Jann Arden, Tom Cochrane, Stuart McLean of the CBC’s Vinyl Café and has performed in countless festivals like the New Orleans Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival. Dala’s PBS Special ‘Girls from the North Country’ earned Amanda a Canadian Folk Music Award and a Juno nomination. Her songs have been featured in film and television including Degrassi: The Next Generation, Flashpoint, The Goodwitch and most recently she composed all the music for the award winning LGBTQ+ indie film ‘Walk With Me’ for which she was awarded Best Female Composer at the Toronto International Women Festival and Best Soundtrack at the Immaginaria Film Festival in Rome Italy.
But…how did Dizzy and Fay become Dizzy & Fay?
The stars aligned when Amanda Walther (FAY) and Mark Lalama (DIZZY) met on some stage on some tour somewhere in Ontario. It now seems inevitable that Mark and Amanda would find Dizzy & Fay.
It was the ‘Essential Ella’ recording she heard as child that started it all for Amanda. It was love at first listen and spawned a love for other greats: Sinatra, Julie London, Nina Simone ..she called it her ‘secret heart music.’ It would soon accompany her in her quiet times; her secret weapon and companion whenever she needed it. She dreamed of singing and recording a jazz record. But being rooted heavily in folk, singing with her family and then professionally with Juno nominated DALA, she kept this dream to herself.
It was the 1975 ‘Oscar Peterson and Clark Terry’ record that started it all for Mark Lalama. Suddenly he had all kinds of questions and interest in jazz and a reverence for this giant of jazz piano. He began studying privately and eventually earned a music degree from York University where to his surprise he would receive instruction from Oscar Peterson himself. Upon graduating, Mark’s career and love for music of all genres found him sharing stages around the world with a vast array of artists, performing everything from pop to world to folk to country. In between tours and recording he would always come back to his early love of jazz, opening the Fake Book and getting lost in the melodies and musical possibilities of the timeless jazz standards.
It was on a tour in Ontario, Canada that Mark and Amanda found themselves on stage together.
After meeting and hearing Mark perform, Amanda felt she had found the producer for her ‘secret heart music’ and told her DALA partner Sheila as much. It was actually Sheila who approached Mark on stage during a concert with the idea of producing this record for Amanda. Soon Mark and Amanda started jamming on backstage pianos between sound checks and performances. They would run through all the songs Amanda sang as a young girl with her dad and songs from the Essential Ella record. As Mark recalls, “..from the time I heard her sing this music, I was completely sold. She lives in every note, every word, every breath.” Amanda felt a similar connection, “Mark’s not just playing the piano, he’s telling a story. It doesn’t matter what song or style he’s playing, you can hear his voice. I felt like he would feel these songs the same way I did.”
Songwriting being such an integral part of their lives and careers, what came next was inevitable. They notched up the writing sessions and soon discovered a repertoire taking shape. A style, a character, was emerging and it was obvious that the focus of this project had changed. The Dizzy & Fay Songbook was being written. With lock-downs in place, there were no venues to play. So they decided to build their own; the Dizzy and Fay Speakeasy. Through a secret door at dizzyandfay.com guests can enter a world of timeless jazz standards, late night jazz cigarettes and everything else you might think is cool. The Speakeasy is where you can see their live performances and check out their newest tunes. You can also purchase their own brands of coffee, lipstick, and find hidden surprises. Escape for as long as you like. At the Speakeasy, you’re always on the guest list.
Their love of this music and infectious performances has become obvious to their listeners:
“The beautiful music created by this pair should be savoured as slowly and lovingly as a double shot of fine bourbon." -Jess Lahr for Great Dark Wonder
“Fay…in my opinion there is no sweeter voice than yours…and where did you find this Dizzy guy? He’s the greatest! These performances reset my musical values.” -Alex, Toronto Ont.
“My, oh my - got to see the inimitable Dizzy & Fay last night at Reid’s Distillery. The show was sublime, what with Fay breathing sweet nothings in our ear and Dizzy dancing from east coast to west on the grand piano. This is a duo not to be missed!” -Brian Andres, Applewood Hollow B&B, Niagara-on-the -Lake
