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

-

 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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: Becoming Marlene Dietrich from Myriam Phiro

-
Image
Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...
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