Album Review: Becoming Marlene Dietrich from Myriam Phiro

Album:  Electric Fantastic
Artist:  The Moore-McColl Jazz Society
Label:  Self-Released
Website:  www.mooremccolljazz.com

Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, The Moore-McColl Jazz Society is comprised of Beth Moore (vocals, piano, Rhodes, organ) and Chance McColl (electric guitar, vocals).  The Moore-McColl Jazz Society integrate soul, blues, calypso, jazz, and a tinge of country folk into an elevating mixture.  Their latest independent release Electric Fantastic is a compilation of originals and cover tunes, featuring a selection of guest musicians and vocalists.

McColl's vocals move in time with the rhythmic grooves rolling along "If You Really Loved Me," bearing a smooth strut reflective of soul/pop's The Doobie Brothers, coated in smoky blues ethers reminiscent of blues guitarist/vocalist Albert Collins.  The flavoring of blues, soul, and country folk, featuring Ben Holst on steel guitar, bring out a prismatic luster resonating through "I Remember Danny Gatton."  The calypso sway of "Beth’s Bounce" is a twist, incorporating the blues swagger of Moore's keys and jazz-inspired horns, radiating a spicy Latin-infused atmosphere.

The throbbing beats articulating the rhythmic pattern along "Blues For Lonnie Williams" are tiered in searing horns and Moore's groaning organ, producing a whistling wind effect.  Moore changes her mode of expression to the classic piano, quilting lacy wisps along the tune she wrote "Words."  Her vocals cradle the melody in warm, supple timbres.  Her treatment of Supertramp's pop hit "The Logical Song" is intriguing, giving the tune a mysterious-slant as the horns bring out aspects resembling the James Bond theme song.

The Moore-McColl Jazz Society takes audiences on a jaunt seasoned with blues, soul, classic jazz, country folk, and calypso.   The album was recorded in a live setting at the famed 800 East Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.   The outcome is an elevating mixture clad in harmonious rhapsodies and intriguing twists.

Musicians:
Beth Moore: Vocals, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond C3 Organ,
Horn Arrangements
Chance McColl: Electric Guitar, Vocals
Joel Morris: Drums, Percussion
Tim Aucoin: Acoustic, Electric Bass
Caleb Lattimore: Trumpet
Christopher Alpiar: Tenor Sax
Declan Ward: Alto Sax
Ben Holst: Pedal Steel Guitar “I Remember Danny Gatton”
Scott Rasher: Trombone “The Logical Song”
Jordan Alyssa: Backing Vocals “Like A Symphony”
Devynn Phoenix Robinson: Backing Vocals “Like A Symphony”