Album Review: You, Me & Cole from Noa Levy and Shimpei Ogawa

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 Album:  You, Me & Cole
Artists:  Noa Levy and Shimpei Ogawa
Label:  Self-Released
Website: noalevylive.com
               basshipogw.wixsite.com/shimpeiogawa

An emotive chantueuse, singer Noa Levy is paired with upright bass player Shimpei Ogawa on their latest CD You, Me & Cole, The recording consists of the duo's interpretations of some of Cole Porter's most memorable tunes, fusing traits of caberet blues, torchlight jazz, and Broadway style burlesque.  The arrangements reflect the duo's melodic sensibilities for playful nuances and whimsical improvisations.

 
Levy's sensuous vocal phrasing through "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" purrs like a siren leading the Broadway show Gypsy.  The pair's mixture of sultry tango and beefy klezmer form a complementing harmony that resonates a American jazz feel with an European flare.  The pulsating beat of Ogawa's bass driving  the swing jazz tune "Just One of Those Things" buffers Levy's expressive vocals, injecting shards of improvisation with a bluesy torchlight slant.  Levy's vocal elasticity is displayed brightly through "It's All Right With Me" as Ogaway's nimble bass playing fodders the playfulness inherent in the melody.

Her penetrative voicing ignites "So In Love," pervading a stark passion that engulfs the tune in a sensual lure.  The pair's treatment of "Anything Goes" has a pulsating calypso beat that incites the playful nuances in Levy's vocals.  Ogawa suspends Levy's vocals in throbbing pumps along "Love For Sale" and provides lavish swells through "In The Still of the Night."

Levy and Ogawa's offering celebrates the jazz culture rooted in blues, burlesque, swing, cabaret, and torchlight fused with the worldly flavors of tango and klezmer.  Their collaboration is artistically inspiring and aurally enjoyable.

Musicians:
Noa Levy - vocals
Shimpei Ogawa - upright bass

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