New York City based flautist, composer, and songwriting producer Claudia Hayden and her band, The Claudia Hayden Project, continue to move audiences to standing ovations at venues throughout the U.S. Possessing a sound that ranges from funky and sassy to sublimely smooth, the sheer power of the music is evident in the new release of her debut Jazz CD, “Abstract.” True to her Louisiana roots, Ms. Hayden, a publisher member of ASCAP, has developed a velvety yet energetic style with a hypnotic tone nearing vocal quality. “Abstract” showcases soul stirring original songs written by Ms. Hayden, and The Hayden Project delivers fiery licks generating from Jazz, World Music, and Funk. Led by Ms. Hayden, musicians on the CD include Wess “Warm Daddy” Anderson, Marc Cary, Darrell Lavigne, Andre Hayward, Terreon Gully, Tarus Mateen, Donald Edwards, Roland Guerin, Abraham Burton, George Fontenette, Jonathan Lefcoski, Klaus Mueller, Shai Bachar, IIya Lishinsky, Avi Rothbard, Michael Jacobsen, Kevin Jones, Michael Foster, and Patricia Lacey. Ms. Hayden notes, “The music shared with our audiences is personal and spontaneous. My songs may appear mellow, but they have an undercurrent of hard emotion that gives them an earthy edge-an edge that makes them recognizably true to life.” Ms. Hayden studied with renowned avant-garde jazz clarinetist Alvin Batiste and flautist Kent Jordan while performing with artists including Joe Sample, Marc Cary, and Roy Hargrove. In addition to the debut of “Abstract, “ Ms. Hayden has written and produced music for a new CD,"The Spirit Speaks”, an eclectic collection of Native American Flute/Meditative music released later this year.