Album Review: What I Was For You: re.think from Nancy Goudinaki

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Album:  What I Was For You: re.think
Artist:  Nancy Goudinaki
Label:  Self-Released
Website:  http://jazzynancyg.com

The easy listening tracks of What I Was For You: re.think from singer, songwriter and guitarist Nancy Goudinaki blend flamenco with soul, blues, and jazz improvisation.  Born in Greece, Goudinaki lives in New York City and performs around the world where her music has found a home.  Soothing, meditative, and cerebrally stimulating, Goudinaki's strumming and plucking is aesthetically pleasing and sonically elevating.

The sleek whisking and refined whipping in her fretwork across "Fuoco" seeps into listeners thoughts, affecting them beneficially.  The soothing wisps of her guitar strings trundling along "Re-think" are layered in the silky wails of JD Allen's tenor sax, making for an emotive experience.  "Nereids," written by Goudinaki and her bassist Richie Goods is a lush soundscape that lifts listeners up, transporting them into a heavenly atmosphere.

Goudinaki's eloquent playing is matched by the tender resonance of her vocals displayed effectively on "Feel Alive" to touch listeners beyond their aural senses as she muses, "Since you left me / I am trapped in my own skin / stuck in the past / nothing feels right / I stay still / that you haunt my mind / I want to feel alive / I need the moonlight to shine / I want to feel alive / but my heart dies on the inside."  The bluesy texture of the guitar chords amplify the lamenting vocals, making an indelibly impression on the listener.

Her versing on the guitar is poetic and her vocals accentuate the atmosphere.  Her strumming oscillates between being percussive like in "One Night In Caldera" to radiating steamy vibrations along the rippling swells of "El Ultimo Canto," penned by Augustine Barrios.  The diversity in her repertoire is laudable, providing insight into her leanings to improvise and to play harmonic forms that affect her audience beneficially.  Her offering is world class and has found a home in the worldwide marketplace.

Musicians:
Nancy Goudinaki - guitar and vocals
JD Allen - tenor saxophone
Richie Goods - electric bass
Devo D - backup vocals on "La Catedral" and "Feel Alive"

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