Here are three singers from various exotic parts of the world: Italy, Hungary and Brooklyn…
Chirara Izzi sings with an attractive Mediterranean lilt in her voice, as she teams up with Andrea rea/p, Nicola/b and Gino del Prete/dr for a mix of originals, jazz standards and fare from her home country. She has an alluring percussive quality to her voice, as she displays on “I Get A Kick Out Of You” and her mezzo-Blossom Dearie tone works well on the assertive “Canabile.” Most attractive is when she goes local, with the pop ballad “Segni del Tempo” and the Birdlandish “Il Pescatore” bringing out all of the warm and rich flavors of the music. Earthy and warm.
New York-based, Ellynne Rey has a clear toned and earnest delivery that gives hints of Broadway on this mix of standards. Joined together with Paul Beaudry/b, Gene Bertoncini/g, Tony Jefferson/dr, Bennett P aster/p and Daniel Sadownick/perc, she is able to show some gravitas on a dark “Soul Eyes” or a gentle reassurance on “Ruby My Dear.” Her fragile delivery of “Invitation” is impressive, while she sounds upbeat on “Suddenly, It’s Spring,” and her vibrato is rich on “Besame Mucho.” Eager to please!
And, fresh from Hungary, Julia Karosi sings in both English and her native tongue on this fresh and vibrant release with Aron Talas/p, Adam Bogothy/b, Bendeguz Varga/dr and Tobias Meinhart/ts. She sounds wondrously rich on pieces such as “Hymn to Love” and also has an uncanny ability to mix traditional Hungarian with free form jazz as on “Imhol Kerekedik”. She does a unison line with Meinharts tenor on tango-esque “Hidden Roots” that you won’t want to let go of, and she also does some fascinating things with wordless vocals on “Noah’s Ark” and “Floating Island” that makes the music skip and bounce like a Super Ball. Her pitch is classical perfect and does some wonderful lines with talas on “The Miraculous Dear.” As with all things Eastern European, the disc wouldn’t be complete with some melancholia, and “Edesanyam Rozsafaja” works to perfection. Give this lady a try!
Dot Time Records
Dot Time Records