Songs in the key of strife is the debut album by unconventional singersongwriter Nina Czempinski.

Recorded at the VCA in Melbourne throughout 2006, it is a striking collection of well crafted songs covering almost every style available to the piano trio in the last 50 years. Rocking between some serious left of centre jazz to the downright silly, the music covers almost everything from a warped circus theme, to doo-wop, acoustic pop, led zeppelin style rock, old school gospel and some devastatingly lush soundscape jazz ballads. With the help of some great jazz muso's and the album's co-producer Myles Mumford, the sound is steeped in jazz, but the pop-like arrangements and tongue-in-cheek lyrics keep it accessible.

There is a glut of Melbourne musicians on the album, all of whom were handpicked for their particular style. The recording features the talents of Mark Shepherd (upright bass), Ben Hendry (drums), Jessie McIntyre (acoustic guitar), Michael Arvanitakis (upright bass), Dan MacDonald (drums), Nat Grant (percussion, vibes), Paul Davies (electric guitar), Nick Lester (sax), Peter Carolane (Hammond) and Eugene Ball (trumpet). The co-producer and VCA recording engineer Myles Mumford has given the recording great dynamic appeal and a polished sound. Nina played piano and Rhodes on the album and also added the layers of lush harmonies that permeate throughout the album.

Nina originally set out to be a pharmacist, but it was while studying at university that music began to call and the idea of a sensible job started to lose it's appeal. Thankfully, as the daughter of two musicians (session drummer and educator Brian Czempinski and singer Di Faulkner) there was always compulsory piano lessons..... Nina has developed her original soup of jazz and the popular song by playing everything from Beatles to Bach as a soloist here in Melbourne and Tokyo. She started out impersonating colourful funk diva Bette Davis in a funk band and has also dabbled in a swing band, cocktail jazz and disco. For a few years she studied jazz singing privately with Michelle Nicole and piano with Helen Jowsey. The piano lessons lead to a 3 month contract as a soloist in a Tokyo hotel, and upon returning, a residency at the Sofitel's atrium. She still hopes one day to give up her day job.......(tee, hee)

In terms of influences, it's ever changing... Nina initially began writing lyrics through poetry and admires the poetry of Sylvia Plath and the story telling of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits. She is also a big fan of Ricky Lee Jones, Laura Nyro, Dr John, and the jazz singers Shirley Horn, Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter and Sheila Jordan (just to name a few!).

Summing up, Songs in the Key of Strife is exactly what it says. It is a collection of well crafted stories about the heartache, paranoias and misdemeanors of a girl in Melbourne who takes life seriously but can't help poke fun at it. It's been created purely for the enjoyment of making music and hopefully will please the listener's ear too!