Photo: Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra

Canadian singer Julie Nesrallah had always wanted to create a jazz album, but the opportunity had never presented itself, until now.

Fever, Peel Me a Grape, and My Funny Valentine are just a few of the songs that will be performed this evening by Nesrallah and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.

The collaboration was a dream come true for Nesrallah, and just a dream for SSO CEO Mark Turner.

“It all began with a dream, quite literally. Mark Turner wrote me one day, and said ‘I had this dream about you, that you were singing a bunch of torch songs, and it was incredible.”

When he woke up, he texted her and let her know that they were going to be doing the project.

Nesrallah says the pair spent a few years picking songs and getting them arranged to be orchestral-friendly. She says singing in front of an orchestra is thrilling, and she can’t wait to perform at the Remai Arts Centre.

“We’ve had one performance of them and a recording, and now we’re on the other side waiting for the album to be edited and completed.” Even she doesn’t know the title of the album or its exact release date, but she states the album will be released later this summer.

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this, and as a solo artist, unless you’ve got pots of money in the bank, you have to wait for the right time or the right opportunity to make something like this happen.”