Album Review: We're All in the Dance from Rachel Caswell

-

Album:  We're All in the Dance
Artist:  Rachel Caswell
Label:  Turtle Ridge Records
Website:  www.rachelcaswell.com

Brimming with cafe society-style, vocalist Rachel Caswell puts audiences in a relaxing state of mind on her latest CD We're All in the Dance.  Her scatting is evenly clement and her bluesy vocalese has a pacifying Patti Austin-esque flare.  A collection of jazz and pop standards, Caswell's recording is extremely likeable as she contemporizes the concept of cafe society.  Produced by her guitarist Dave Stryker, Caswell's offering is melodically arranged and shaped with harmonious chord patterns from beginning to end.

She forms a cascade of scatting sounds drizzling intermittently along "Devil May Care," a tune written by Bob Dorough and Terrell P. Kirk, Jr.  The dreamy ambience of "Two for the Road," a Henry Mancini gem, features Caswell's vocal elasticity, reaching and refracting, catching the feel of the music.  Her sister Sara Caswell sows soaring lifts on violin through the track, enhancing the calming quality of the elixir.  The smoky blues timbres in Caswell's alto register pours out smoothly along "Drown in My Own Tears," an iconic jazz standard for Henry Glover, while the silky tresses of her vocals comfortably nestle and cuddle against the melodic phrasing of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story."

Brimming with traditional cafe society class, Caswell's CD fits into her audience's laid back lifestyle.  She stokes the flames of classic cabaret blues, soaked in straight-ahead jazz trimmings.  Her music is mainstream by virtual of the fact that everyone could use a dose of her kind of jazz vocals.

Musicians:
Rachel Caswell - vocals
Sara Caswell - violin
Dave Stryker - guitar
Linda May  Han Oh - bass
Fabian Almazan - piano and Fender Rhodes
Jonathan Blake - drums

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: This Could Be The Start from Linda Purl

-
Image
Album: This Could Be The Start Artist:  Linda Purl Label: Reaching Records Website:  https://www.lindapurl.com Vocalist Linda Purl and her music director Tedd Firth come together for their fourth album, This Could Be the Start .  The collection contains Purl's reimagination of a handful of jazz standards, tailored to her vocal specifications.  Supported by an intimate cadre of musicians that include bassist David Finck, drummer Ray Marchica and reed player Nelson Rangell, Purl finesses a selection of Great American Songbook jewels with a contemporary sheen. The playful merengue rhythm driving "Blue Moon," a swinging romp written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, is trussed in Ray Marchica's percolating percussion and a profusion of jutting keys performed by Ted Firth.  The track steps out of the customary schematics of swing jazz bolstered by blues vocals and articulates a Latin-imbued tremor.  The bossa nova curves shaping one of Cole Porter's signature pieces,
Read more

Album Review: The Ways In from James Zollar

-
Image
Album:  The Ways In Artist:  James Zollar Label:  Label: JZAZ Records Websites:  https://www.rsberkeley.com/james-zollar https://www.discogs.com/artist/954763-James-Zollar https://wyntonmarsalis.org/personnel/detail/james-zollar A straight-ahead jazz oeuvre, The Ways In from bandleader and trumpet player James Zollar resumes a quest where pioneers of the trumpet's sympathetic vibrations like Clifford Brown and Bill Coleman left off.  Zollar shows audiences the delightful, melodious tone of the trumpet, moving in harmony with an array of brass, woodwinds, and rhythm instruments. The robust wails of Zollar's trumpet strutting languidly along "Do Nothing 'till You Hear From Me" emotes an enduring personable trait, unwavering persistence in the face of being dejected.  The recording switches to a joyful atmosphere in "Swing Spring" with jangly beats from percussionist Chembo Corniel, interfacing with the buoyant ripples generated by Michael Rorby's trom
Read more

Album Review: Globetrotter from Luca di Luzio

-
Image
Album:  Globetrotter Artist:  Luca di Luzio Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.lucadiluzio.it   Guitarist Luca di Luzio's upcoming CD, Globetrotter  is an assortment of contemporary jazz tunes bridging funk, blues, soul, and Latin music.  Comprised of a few jazz standards and a handful of original works written by Luca di Luzio, a prolific guitar player who studied different styles of music, the recording expresses his personal vision of jazz guitar based on melody and groove.  Joining Di Luzio in his vision are bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Dave Wecki, keyboardist George Whitty, and saxophonists Max Ionata and Alessandro Fariselli. From dance-funk numbers like "Jazzlife" and "Elisir" to the soft billows and reflective moods projected in "Smile" and " Buena Suerte," Di Luzio's artistry stems from his vision to make music that is aesthetically pleasing.  "Sunshower," a tune written by Kenny Barron, is a pr
Read more