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reviews - cd/book reviews
Oceana
Till Bronner
Universal 1708231 2006
Till Bronner-tpt/vcl; Dean Parkes-gtr; David Piltch-bs; Larry
Goldings-pno/Wurlitzer elec pno/Hammond B3/esty org; Jay Bellrose-dms;
Jim Cox-pno; Gary Foster-alto.
Producer - Larry Klein.
A "new' singer-musician from Germany who is making a comeback
on record after a two year hiatus. His voice is well suited to
the three songs he croons on the disc, other vocals surprisingly
handled by Madeleine Peyroux, Luciana Souza and an absolute knockout
in My Secret Life by the fashion model (I kid you not), Carla
Bruni. There are eight instrumentals that vary in style from Wes
Montgomery's Bumpin', Rogers and Hart's It Never Entered My Mind,
to the traditional Danny Boy. Every one of them, plus a couple
of South American rhythms, are given brilliant voicings that are
modern, quirky and musicianly. Bronner is his own man on trumpet,
though an occasional Chet Baker breathy sound comes over on the
mainly slow tempo mid-register tunes. Extremely fine solos from
his sidemen with the keyboard variations from Larry Goldings standing
out. Nice one.
Reviewed by Ron Spain
River - the joni letters
Herbie Hancock
Verve 1744826 2007
Herbie Hancock-pno; Wayne Shorter-sop/tnr; Dave Holland-bs; Vinnie Colaiuta-dms;
Lionel Loueke-gtr. Produced and arranged by Larry Klein. With
vocals by Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana
Souza, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen (speech).
Music and lyrics by Joni Mitchell, except for Solitude by Ellington/Mills/DeLange
and Nefertiti by Wayne Shorter.
Wonderful vocal interpretations of these Joni Mitchell song-poems
by an unexpected array of vocalists. The band are something else,
giving life to the Klein arrangements and soloing as brilliantly
as the listener expects of such superlative modern instrumentalists,
but somehow not coming over with the same impact on Shorter's
Nefertiti (or did I lose the thread?). Mitchell writes some memorable
melodies with lyrics that require more than a modicum of attention,
but these singers are worth that attention and their interpretation
evokes memories of The Dark Side of the Moon.
An unusual one for the collection that rewards a few plays.
Reviewed by Ron Spain
Marlene Richards
Here, There and Everywhere
Private recording
Incredibly, this is the first solo CD by an artist of great style
who has been singing distinctively over nearly four decades, on
television and in clubs from Adelaide to Sydney and back home
where she is an icon of the local jazz scene. Marlene Richards
sings jazz in a husky voice that evokes smoke-filled bars on late
nights, typified by her opening song, ‘Close Your Eyes’, which
brings on thoughts of a warm bed with good company. Lennon and
McCartney wrote some exemplary tunes, often with difficult chord
changes and on both the title tune and ‘Fool On The Hill’, Marlene
accords them respectful interpretations with The Boss Trio providing
appropriately simpatico accompaniment. Her version of the Francis
Youmans/Billy Rose tune, ‘Without A Song’, is honey running over
sand, complemented by one of Bob Jeffrey’s bouncing tenor sax
solos and he shows some muscle on ‘You’d Be So Nice To Come Home
To’, with spare piano accompaniment from Kerin Bailey, who also
produced this CD, while Marlene phrases like Peggy Lee. She lives
every note and expresses every word in the emotion-drenched ‘We’ll
Be Together Again’ and rates approval from Mel Torme on the rarely
heard ‘Green Dolphin Street’. Did Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein
ll really write ‘Lover Come Back To Me’ in 1928? If so, they were
ahead of their time and so is Marlene as she gives a contemporary
twist to this romping version of a classic song of love. It’s
jazz singing at it’s very best, plus one of Dave McEvoy’s hot
solos. On the final ‘I Hear Music’, the lady is back in bed, but
unable to sleep because she’s as hyped up as the listener will
be after 12 choice songs sung and played in singular empathy by
seven alternating musicians and one very special singer. It’s
some CD – get it!
Reviewed by Ron Spain
Becky Fox
Allure
ABC 476 6239
ABC Jazz Melbourne 2006/7
Beck Fox - vcl; with various combos comprising Luke Howard - pno/kbd;
Tony Gould- pno; Joe Chindamo - accn; Simon Patterson or Leonard
Grigoryan or Peter Petrucci - gtr; Lachlan Davidson - sax; John
Hoffman - tpt/flg; Kim May or Ben Robertson or Jeremy Allsop - bs;
Andrew Gander - dms; James Lewis - perc. Backing vcls - Becky Fox,
Marcia Howard, Tobias Cummings.
What a pleasure to hear romantic songs sung in a romantic language!
Becky Fox, although still in her mid-twenties, has spent several
years in France understanding and perfecting the language and she
gives great expression to most of these compositions, made famous
by the likes of Edith Piaf and Charles Trenet, or from the pens
of Sting, James Brown, Cole Porter and China Forbes. She has chosen
her material with care and affection, much of it rarely heard over
the years, though nonetheless instantly recognizable. She caresses
the lyrics in her pure voice, probably inspiring the CD title, while
her accompanying musicians are worthy of the challenge to complement
the songs throughout these subtle and sensitive arrangements.
Queen Latifah
Trav'lin' Light
Verve CD 1736504
Los Angeles 2007
20 musicians, including Jeff Hamilton - dms; Christian McBride-
bs; Stevie Wonder or Toots Thielemans - hca; George Duke or Joe
Sample - pno. (30 reeds and brass; 45 strings; 4 backing vocalists)
I told you to look out for this one in the Dec/Jan JazzScene
and here it is, fully living up to expectations. Queen Latifah
has tempered her vocal style in the great nightclubs of the world
and has, I suspect, an admiration for the delivery style of Pearl
Bailey. Listen to "Georgia Rose" (love the phrase, "don't
be blue 'cos you're black"), or "I Love Being Here With
You" (Peggy Lee), or "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl"
(Nina Simone), or "How Long" (The Pointer Sisters),
or Donny Hathaway's "Gone Away". She gives every lyric
special meaning, swings when it's required, phrases with dynamism
and uses the backing musicians for impetus. The word is "professional".
Reviewed by Ron Spain
Early South Australian Jazz
The Late 1930’s and Early 1940’s
Various Bands SAJA 05
A South Australian Jazz Archive project
For those with an ear for the development of jazz in Australia, this compilation comes as a welcome surprise
from the private collections of three South Australian musicians who made the music and one notable
collector who knew we’d like to hear it again.
The opening tracks by the Claude Carnell Orchestra are not on a jazz wavelength, but typify the dance
music of the early WW2 years, with some very competent musicians taking the occasional solo.
Champagne music of the era when that was what we drank, perhaps. The selections from the 5KA Swing
Club Band include a Ray Bauduc-style drummer and a clarinet solo that is presumably by Maurie Le Doeuff,
while the latter’s own Swing Club Six take some very jazz-influenced solos, especially those by the leader
and the hot trumpet of Max Lawson. Incidentally, I’m sure there is a second trumpeter on ‘Bei Mir Bist Du
Schoen’.
A good, swinging back beat adds pepper to The Maurie Le Doeuff and Wally Lund Band tracks, with the
guitar of Lyall Cornish very tasty. There’s an unlisted and good trombone on ‘Blues In B-Flat’, which is a
question that someone will resolve, no doubt.
An 18-year old Bruce Gray shows very early promise in the BG style with the Malcolm Bills Trio,
followed by two takes of ‘Ja Da’ with the pianist’s Dixieland Band and fine trombone from Mal Badenoch and
the clear toned trumpet of Bill Munro. Bill picks up a valve trombone on the next three tracks while a Muggsy
inspired Nick Stefakis heats the trumpet on some New York Dixieland with the leader filling nicely and
soloing sedately.
The next four tunes are by the first Southern Jazz Group (also known as The Southernaires), led by
trumpet player Dave Jenkins, recorded in early 1946 before Dave Dallwitz took on the leadership and
created history. This band is notable for showcasing the very swinging Lew Fisher on piano and the alto of
Errol Buddle. Final tunes are by an augmented Southernaires, with some stock arrangements of 1930’s
vintage.
This CD contains rare material that is sometimes low on the Fi, but always high on the interest and it’s a
worthy addition to the previously issued four CD’s from the annals of South Australian recorded music.
Reviewed by Ron Spain
FOOTSCRAY STATION
WAY OUT WEST
Newmarket 3127 2
It was intriguing from the beginning; a CD with cover photos of a deserted railway station at night lit by tall
lamps; rails gleaming silver in the dark, a band called Way Out West, and the title “Footscray Station”.
What it turned out to be was the latest effort from Peter Knight (whose first disc “between two moments”
captured attention), and his new band and guest artists. It is both innovative and exciting, gentle and
evocative thanks to the use of three traditional Vietnamese instruments, the dan tranh, dan bau, and dan nhi,
stringed instruments played and obviously venerated by Dung Nguyen.
The opening,’Footscray Station Platform 1’ an atmospheric and moody pastiche of the hiss of train doors, the
squeal of brakes and a chattering crowd, leads us into a scene redolent with train fumes and cigarette
smoke. Ruminative and sophisticated music is woven into the tapestry of sound, and the stage is set for a
vibrant meeting, a marriage between East and West. On track two,’Maribyrnong Sketch’, (Knight)
Vietnamese strings introduce an insistent drum beat; this is typical of several of the tracks, exciting rhythms
on percussion and drums overlaid by the delicate plaintive and haunting sounds of the Vietnamese
instruments. Trumpet and bass add their part in a pleasant evocation of cultural closeness.
Howard Cairns soloing on acoustic bass, Ray Pereira on percussion, Dung on Vietnamese zither round
out the sound of “Way Out West” on ‘Platform 2’, ‘Amasya’ and ‘If I Knew Where You Were’.
One of the many high-lights of the disc is ‘Is the Moon Really That Far Away?’ by Peter Knight, a
wonderful poem sensitively spoken and sung by Martin Breeze, accompanied by Scott Lambie, drums, Leo
Dale, alto flute, Paul Williamson, tenor sax, Howard Cairns, bass, Peter Knight, trumpet, and Dung
Nguyen. Trumpet and sax blend in unison and in harmony with the voice in an original and expressive
offering. The creative contribution of everyone involved in this CD is outstanding. This journey of exploration
and experimentation is soulful and inspiring reflecting the desire to recreate the stimulating cultural mix of
Melbourne’s inner Western suburbs. Some truly Australian jazz.
Reviewed by Pam Brow
Love Rhapsody - Emma Sidney
Move Records - MCD 211
14 Tracks - TPT 61:58 m:s
This debut CD from vocalist Emma Sidney was launched at Dizzys Jazz Bar
in Richmond in July. She is accompanied by Todd Sidney, piano, Leon Heale, bass,
Dean Cooper, drums & percussion, with Greg Clarkson and Ron Anderson, reeds
& flutes or Reg Walsh, trumpet & flugelhorn backing Emma on some tracks.
The 14 tracks cover a variety of jazz standards such as Youd be
so Nice To Come Home To, Nature Boy, Almost Like Being
In Love, The Very Thought Of You to Lennon & McCartneys
And I love Her. Other tracks include Bonfas A Day in
the Life of a Fool, L-O-V-E Billie Holidays Dont
Explain Ellingtons Solitude and Emmas own compositions,
Changeable Day, Lament and title track Love Rhapsody.
Emma has a nice easy style whether swinging the standards or interpreting a
slow ballad. The band give Emma good support as well as getting time to stretch
out with the occasional solos. Todd Sidney did the tight arrangements on 11
tracks with Emma showing her versatility arranging Love Rhapsody
as well as co-production of the CD with Todd. A fine effort from all concerned
and Im sure this will be the first of many CDs from Emma
Reviewer Don Brow
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