“One Night With Frank” is just one of the charming and wistful original songs from the incredibly gifted singer/songwriter Erin Boheme on her Concords Records debut. For this ingenious composition, the 18 year-old from Oshkosh, Wisconsin (and her co-writer Guy Chambers) weaves 19 songs from “Ol’ Blue Eyes” into a fantastical story about a meeting with her long-time hero, Frank Sinatra. “Fly me to the moon/We would be on our honeymoon,” she writes, delivering her lyrics in her inimitable sultry and sensuous manner over a colorful, easy swinging jazz vibe. “…He would be singing at the Sands/Swingin’ with Basie and his band/What could be better than to have one night with Frank?”

Sinatra and Erin’s other childhood idols, Billie Holliday, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Bobby Darin, and Dean Martin, are no doubt smiling down, enjoying this instant classic and the other eleven tracks on this exciting new singer / songwriter’s album, What Love Is. Each song on the CD illustrates beautifully Boheme’s magical ability to bridge generations with an irresistible, emotionally compelling mix of old school swing, modern pop and fresh, new jazz. Following the lead of other charismatic young performers like vocalist Michael Bublé and her Concord label mate, pianist/vocalist Peter Cincotti, the undeniably beautiful Boheme—determined to share beloved tunes from the Great American Songbook with young and old alike—brings a vibrant mix of innocence and sass to a timeless style, while incorporating the musical influences of her own generation.

Boheme is more than simply a brilliant, musically-wise, beyond-her-years interpreter with a deep understanding of jazz and traditional pop vocal traditions, however. Having written her first song at age 15, the passionate and optimistic “Anything” (caressed on the album by lush orchestration), she’s also quickly developed into a remarkably insightful, heartfelt, and witty tunesmith of unlimited potential, a talent embraced by Concord. For What Love Is―a CD full of songs that explore and express the complex nature of love and human relationships―she gracefully balances such Boheme-penned tunes as the title track, a yearning “Someone To Love” (written with composer / producer Mark Portmann), and “Make You Happy” (co-written with Rob Chiarelli), with stirring new arrangements of classics like “Let’s Do It” and “Teach Me Tonight.” There are also fresh twists on modern pop hits like Eric Clapton’s “Change The World” and Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason.”

“The tune ‘Someone to Love’ was actually the first song I wrote when I moved to Los Angeles,” Boheme explains. “I wrote the chorus and had it in my head for a while, until my former manager hooked me up with Mark Portmann. He sat down, and I sang it to him. All these new ideas poured out and the whole tune was written in half an hour.” She continues, “In the case of ‘Make You Happy,’ Rob [Chiarelli] gave me the basic track and just said, ‘See what you can come up with.’ I toyed with it for a week, singing words along with it before actually writing down the lyrics, then gradually coming up with a melody line. Working with so many great writers has naturally pushed me to become a better songwriter myself.”

This joyous vibe on the debut CD is captured with flair with the support of all-star musicians like Chuck Berghoffer (long-time bassist for Sinatra); saxophone great Tom Scott (whose smoky solo adds verve to the sexy arrangement of “Let’s Do It”); and legendary songwriter/producer David Foster, who accompanies Erin on piano on the classic “Let Me Make the Most of a Beautiful Thing” and the Boheme-penned original “Make You Happy.” Also featured are two of Boheme’s young Concord label mates―Taylor Eigsti, the 21-year old pianist whose arrangements and keyboard work are evident throughout the CD, and 22-year-old trumpeter Christian Scott (“Teach Me Tonight,” “Change The World,” “What Love Is”).

“Obviously, this music has been around a lot longer than I have, and I look at my debut as a great opportunity to introduce it to music fans of all ages,” says Boheme. “I wanted the album to be very honest. This kind of music has a raw simplicity about it that’s very beautiful, and I’ve been inspired by the way Peter, Michael, and Diana Krall have made it appealing to younger audiences.”

“What draws me to that era is this cool quality the singers had, and how casual they were about it,” she adds. “It’s important to realize that there will never be another Frank. My goal is not to imitate his style, or those of any of his contemporaries, but to convey through my interpretations an appreciation for what they did. It’s not about becoming the next big thing, but about sharing my gifts and letting people know the kind of music that’s been important to me. I’ve come a long way since I first heard my dad play ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ in the car!”

Although Erin Boheme’s great talent and ambitions were ultimately too powerful for her to stay in the small town environs of Oshkosh, since she moved to Los Angeles permanently in 2004, she has learned to appreciate the value of her simple roots. “Growing up in a small town gives you a great sense of belonging,” she says. “I was always writing and singing, lost in my own world. I think being a part of a small community ultimately gave me the confidence to step out and be myself.”

While her father John introduced his daughter to Frank and Billie and cultivated her appreciation for The Rat Pack, her mother, Susan, was watching her sing along to Al Green, Aretha Franklin and Earth, Wind & Fire records. Growing up, Boheme was tapped constantly for weddings and graduation parties, and when she was 15, she and her mom—making contacts in Los Angeles through local friends—flew west to meet with several different managers and labels. It would be serendipity that bought her to Concord, however.

In early 2004, the singer was reading her local newspaper for a class assignment when she saw the headline, “Oshkosh Man Nominated For Grammy.” Boheme emailed congratulations to Los Angeles-based veteran pianist Mike Melvoin, who was up for Best Piano Solo for “All Or Nothing At All.” Melvoin—who was Peggy Lee’s musical director for many years—would eventually become a mentor to Boheme. He would critique her songs honestly and invite her to work with him on new material, which one day found its way to the Concord Music Group.

An hour into the label’s meeting with Boheme, the executives around the table told the young singer, just 18-years old at the time, that if she wanted to become part of the family, they were interested. GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and Executive Vice President of A&R John Burk explains, “Erin is one of those rare finds, a brilliant interpreter of song who truly conveys the emotion behind every song she sings. I was struck by the depth and maturity of Erin’s songwriting. From the first time I heard her, I knew she was an incredibly gifted artist.” Burk would go on to produce many of the songs on What Love Is, along with Gregg Field, Brian Bromberg, Mark Portman and Melvoin.

“Once I was over the initial rush of signing the deal, I realized we had a lot of work to do. Slowly but surely all the pieces inched together,” says Boheme. “I’m looking forward now to traveling, meeting people and experiencing this new world into which I’ve stepped. The best advice I’ve gotten from someone who has been through all of this is to make sure I’m having fun. Life is too short to settle, and I’ve made a promise to myself to keep doing it, whether it’s in front of ten people or 10,000. Now I’m getting a chance to live my dream. It’s a very humbling and gratifying experience.”