Singing Star Christena Rich Honors Songwriter

Jimmy McHugh on Her Debut Album, Jimmy’s, Out Now

Produced and Arranged by Legendary Musician Laurence Juber, the Album is a Spectacular Take on Classic Tunes

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“It’s amazing how Jimmy McHugh’s great songs sound so ageless and contemporary when Christena interprets them. These are ‘forever’ songs sung with Love, Joy and imaginative accompaniment supplied and arranged by Laurence Juber.”

 - Michael Feinstein 

“Christena Rich’s album is spectacular! Christena truly has a unique voice and these recordings showcase not only her versatility as an artist but also how Jimmy McHugh’s songs can be adapted to any style of music.”

- Rhonda Hamilton, 88.1 FM KJAZZ  Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 26, 2025) – On her much-anticipated and thoroughly spectacular debut album, Jimmy’s, out now, fast-rising singer Christena Rich pulls off something no less than extraordinary: She covers some of the best-loved tunes from the Great American Songbook, while at the same time she establishes herself has a strikingly original talent in her own right.

The Jimmy of Jimmy’s is Jimmy McHugh, one of the most prolific and popular composers of the 20th Century, whose iconic catalog of songs included “Let’s Get Lost,” “I’m in the Mood for Love” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” among many more. During his lifetime, McHugh saw his numbers covered by artists such as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Chet Baker, Peggy Lee and the Everly Brothers, just to name a few.

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“In many ways, this album has been a passion project of mine for a long time,” says Rich, who as it turns out has a family connection to McHugh – her husband is the grandson of McHugh. “I started out as a classical vocalist, and then I became obsessed with soul and pop, which I still love. Delving into the music of Jimmy McHugh unlocked something I didn’t know was there. I listened to Dinah Washington singing ‘I Just Found Out About Love’ and Aretha Franklin’s version of ‘Exactly Like You,’ and I thought, ‘My voice could grab onto those.’”

A project as unique – and yes, lofty – as this could fold without the right musical partner, but Rich found a dream collaborator in renowned producer and guitarist Laurence Juber (perhaps best known to millions of music fans as a onetime member of Wings). When Juber heard Rich’s heavenly pipes, he knew he had to work with her, but more than that, the idea of producing and arranging Jimmy McHugh’s songs for an entire album proved irresistible.

WATCH THE PROMO VIDEO HERE

“Christena has a voice that drew me in immediately,” Juber says. “What really impressed me, however, is in how I could see that she was inside a musical moment every time she sings. There’s no agenda to what she does – she’s just there. Beyond that, the musicologist in me was taken with the idea of exploring the generational thing. These songs were written before Christena was born, but she ‘gets’ them, and together we could make them come alive again for new audiences to discover.”

Juber assembled an ace group of musicians for the album – drummer Christopher Allis, bassist Zac Matthews and Michael Seaman on keyboards – but before recording, the four-piece band (which included Juber on guitar) and Rich gave an ecstatic crowd at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz Club a sneak preview of the material. “That was really fun,” Rich says. “There’s nothing like seeing an audience respond to what you’re doing. Laurence had already worked out lots of nuances to the arrangements, but playing the songs live gave him a chance to fine-tune things here and there.”

That same live feel comes across in widescreen colors throughout the 12 vibrant cuts on Jimmy’s. Juber and the band are on fire (on some tracks, they’re joined session master and onetime Blues Brother Tom Scott on sax and clarinet), but the central performance that makes it all work is Rich’s. She doesn’t just perform, nor does she simply reinterpret. Rather, she sees the song in front of her and lives it as if it’s her own story to tell. And the beauty of it is in how she takes listeners along for the adventure.

She casts a hypnotic spell of romance on “I’m in the Mood for Love,” a masterclass in narrative performance – it’s as if she’s acting in a one-woman musical. She’s equally mesmerizing on “I Just Found Out About Love,” on which she explores the three-dimensional aspects to melody while teasing and coaxing every possible meaning from Harold Adamson’s lyrics.

“Let’s Get Lost” has received dozens of interpretations, none more famous than Chet Baker’s straight-ahead swing recording from 1955. On Jimmy’s, Rich and Juber get slow and sultry – this is a 2 A.M. version, when the lights go out – and it presented the singer with a welcome change of pace. “Normally, I’m a soprano, so when Laurence asked me to explore the low register of my voice, it was like Christmas,” Rich says. “It was almost like a discovery for me – instead of singing big, I got to be delicate and vulnerable.”

The luminous ballad “Don’t Blame Me” is a brilliant showcase for both Rich and Juber. Rich’s marvelously expressive vibrato rings every big of yearning and wonder from Dorothy Fields’ lyrics, and Juber provides shimmering response lines before he takes a fluid and graceful solo. “The song has such attitude,” Rich says. “More than anything, it takes you to a lovely place. The melody is so sweet, and the lyrics are very visual – I’m literally seeing the moon as I sing.”

It’s hard to transcend such strong material, but the beauty of Jimmy’s is how Rich and Juber inhabit their own emotional content of each selection. The loving attention they give to these songs is exciting – we’re excited because they are, and every performance feels spontaneous and alive.

“There’s nothing like Jimmy McHugh’s songs,” Rich enthuses. “Being a songwriter myself, it’s inspiring to perform them because they’re just perfect. They flow and they feel good, and I’m so happy that I got the opportunity to make this record with Laurence Juber, who brought the same level of passion and care as I did. I’m hoping that fans who know Jimmy’s music embrace this record, and it would be incredible if younger people discover it, as well.”

Christena Rich - Photo credit: Katrina Amante 

Full tracklisting of Jimmy’s is as follows: 

1. Exactly Like You
2. I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me
3. Let’s Get Lost
4. Don’t Blame Me
5. I Got Lucky In The Rain
6. I’m In The Mood for Love
7. I Just Found Out About Love
8. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
9. “Murder,” He Says
10. It’s A Most Unusual Day
11. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
12. Where Are You?

CHRISTENA RICH'S Record Release & Birthday Celebration

featuring LAURENCE JUBER

Wed | August 27, 2025

Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:30 pm

CATALINA BAR & GRILL

6725 W. Sunset Blvd.

Hollywood, CA 90028

Tickets available HERE

About Christena Rich:

Growing up in Canada, Rich drew people in with the sound of her voice early on.

Drawing on inspirations like Amy Grant, Mariah Carey, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Celine Dion, she stood out at camp singing groups and music competitions. It wouldn’t be long for Rich’s talents to take her to Los Angeles, where caught the attention of producer Lauren Wild (Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel), who began showcasing her on various projects, such as an Engelbert Humperdink cover of “The Living Years.”

Later, Rich started working with noted UK producer Lin Gardiner on a number of tracks, and even a dance-EDM EP titled The First Time. Gardiner also produced Rich’s luminous original ballad “Without You,” which was featured in the Jennifer Tilly film Deluxe Combo Platter.

Soon Rich established herself as a knockout live performer, drawing raves for her appearances at L.A. clubs such as the Pig ‘N Whistle, the Catalina Jazz Club and Herb Alpert’s Club Vibrato. At the same time, she took her act on the road as a member of a female collective called the Soul Sistahs. “We’re not a not a girl group,” she stresses. “We would come together to sing our favorite R&B songs, and all of our proceeds would go to charities.”

Last year, Rich began collaborating with Laurence Juber. The famed guitarist and producer (known to millions as a onetime member of Wings) first teamed with Rich for a luminous take on the Bee Gees’ gem “To Love Somebody,” and the experience was so rewarding that they decided to band together to record the Jimmy McHugh tribute, Jimmy’s. “I’m so happy that I got the opportunity to make this record with Laurence,” Rich raves. “He brought the same level of passion and care as I did. His ideas were impeccable, and his arrangements of these songs were incredible. He would challenge me at times, but always in a nurturing way that brought out the best in me. I couldn’t ask for a better collaborator.”

Following an album release live performance at the Catalina Jazz Club (which will include Juber and the same band that recorded Jimmy’s), Rich plans to play select shows throughout the U.S. She’s plotting her next moves – possibly recording an album of her own songs, or maybe a Christmas album – but for the time being her heart is set on bringing the music of Jimmy McHugh to audiences far and wide.

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For all press inquiries, please contact:

Michael Jensen | mj@jensencom.com 

Leo Lavoro | leo@jensencom.com