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Portraits - Matt Slocum.
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Portraits •••
Matt Slocum, Chandra Records
Jazz, like other art forms, has its own creative standards. But standards are subject to an individual’s interpretation and over the years there has been a profligate of what jazz should be. Drummer Matt Slocum and his fellow musicians understand all this, and on their latest album, Portraits, their performance on pieces like “Daydream,” “For Alin,” “Seven Stars,” and “Illusions and Delusions” are exemplary as traditional jazz repositories. This is contemporary jazz that delights one’s ears with its revered homage to the roots and the historical lineage of the music. Featured musicians include Gerald Clayton (piano), Massimo Biolcati (bass), Walter Smith III (tenor sax, tracks 1 and 3), Jaleel Shaw (alto sax, track 6), and Dayna Stephens (tenor sax, tracks 6 and 8).
Espirito •••
Lawson Rollins, Infinita Records
Jazz guitarist Lawson Rollins meticulously chisels his skill, culture and passion into his most ambitious album, Espirito. Following up with the success of his debut album, Infinita (2008), Mr. Rollins produced his second album with the same co-producers Shahin Shahida and Dominic Camardella and many of the same musicians including Brazilian icon Flora Purim and her husband, master percussionist Airto Moreira, Grammy-winning violinist Charlie Bisharat (Shadowfax), Afghan vocalist Humayun Khan (harmonium), Jeff Elliot (trumpet), Randy Tico (bass), and Dave Bryant (drums, percussion). Mr. Rollins and his friends traveled to such culturally vibrant locales as Spain, Brazil, Cuba, Persia, Afghanistan, and India and along the way incorporated some sensible underpinnings of American pop. While the album is dense with extraordinary musicianship, scholarly composition, and a “We Are the World” alchemy of culture, Mr. Rollins manages to never overplay the music or overwhelm the listeners. This musical journey sets a variety of accessible moods -- infectious dance rhythms, somber ballads that stir emotion and provoke thought, love songs that send the imagination soaring, and intricate pieces that stimulate adventure, intrigue and mystery. Of special note is “Moonlight Samba,” a seductive Latin groove with a breezy melody, muted trumpet accents, and celestial vocals from Ms. Purim and Mr. Moreira. The song is radiantly illuminated by Mr. Rollins’ acoustic guitar, which is thoughtfully restrained until erupting into an emotionally-charged plea midway through.
Boudoir Rouge •••
Le Kat, Meow Record
Inspired by the 1930s Hollywood glamour, and Paris’s Jazz Age, Le Kat release her debut album, Boudoir Rouge, a diverse collection of vintage jazz vocals, lonesome blues grooves, theatrical cabaret tunes, playful pop and moody torch songs. Backing Ms. Le Kat on the album is a core group of gifted musicians, including Tabanou (guitar, keyboards), Aaron Kaplan (guitar, banjo and mandolin)), Brett Simons (bass), Doug Webb (sax, clarinet), Larry Williams (trumpet), David Langlois (percussion, washboard), Jimmy Levine (piano), and Mark David (drummer).
Boudoir Rouge is about love, lust and desire. Opening with an inviting trip back in time to a Paris café, “Best I Ever Had” is a vocally ethereal song of amorous desire paced by lilting guitar progressions. “I Need A Man,” written by Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, is a slinky vaudevillian vamp. Ms. Le Kat purrs angrily through “More,” while her musical ensemble takes on big band qualities on “Talk To Me.” “Mista Twista” is rambunctious, frisky and fun. A bossa nova and samba-infused “Wikked Lil’ Grrrls” is pure joy for one’s dancing pleasure. The sassy “Bigger Than The Both of Us” vacillates in tempo allowing Ms. Le Kat to croon vulnerably and bellow defiantly in a tour-de-force performance. On “Keep Young and Beautiful,” Ms. Le Kat offers a tongue-in-cheek guide for women in a society obsessed with youth and looks. Closing the album is the bonus track, the ambient “Lady in Lavender” is haunting and chilling. |
