Former American Idol contestant, Haley Reinhart stopped by to chat with Fresh 102.7/New York as she prepares to give fans her debut album, Listen Up!, with the single “Free” being the first track to hit the airwaves.

You’ll certainly remember Haley from Season 10 of American Idol. She sang an unbelievable duet with Tony Bennett on the show, ”Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” which turns out to be one of her fondest, if not THE fondest moment of her time on the program.  “It was amazing,” Haley said. “I grew up with Jazz my whole life.” And she’s not just blowing smoke. Haley is a regular visitor to NYC jazz clubs when she’s in town. “There’s some prodigies out here…  It’s cool to see all the raw talent” says Haley. In case you want to get your snapping fingers snapping just like Haley, her favorite places to listen and lounge are The Blue Note and Smalls.

Haley’s debut album Listen Up! will be hitting shelves and online retailers on May 22. Haley says her new single, “Free,” “has hints of jazz in there,” it’s definitely “sultry” and has an “organic and hypnotic kind of vibe.”

Watch Haley’s Video For “Free”

Haley returned to the Idol stage back in March to perform her new single. Of that experience, Haley says she “felt great knowing she was not getting judged.” She also gave some advice to the new contestants. Go with your gut and instincts. There are a lot of different people giving the contestants a lot of advice, so she tells them to take what they need from it and move on.

Haley also told her story of performing the Elton John classic “Benny and the Jets” on Idol. She remembers calling her parents explaining that no one had ever picked that song to perform and couldn’t understand why. During that conversation, it came on the radio at her parents home. She saw it as a sign that she had to perform it.

Another song and experience that Haley will never forget was when she took on Led Zeppelin‘s “What Is and What Should Never Be” on the show with her dad, Harry Reinhart playing guitar. She called him the night before to perform with her. There’s nothing like springing an impromptu performance on your parents. Especially a performance in front of millions of viewers!

Haley Reinhart In Studio [Photos]

Not only can Haley sing her heart out, she’s also got a bit of the acting bug. Haley was on a recent episode of Beverly Hills 90210. She says she has been acting almost as long as she has been singing. One would think Broadway would be the perfect place for her, but she says she has no interestin Broadway, but does love to act and wants to “play a crazy character and get a little psycho.”

HaleyReinhart.com

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-Christian Conte/Joe Cingrana, Fresh 102.7