Bay Area vocalist/composer Molly Holm brings together an impressive lineup to deliver a mix of post bop and modal standards and originals on this session. The flexible team of Frank Martin/p, Jeff Chambers/g, Famoudou Don Moye-Deszon Claiborne/dr and Larry Schneider/sax is augmented by guests like Wayne Wallace/tb and assorted percussionists.
Her mezzo soprano voice plays with the pitch and rhythm at times, as on the propulsive “Sea Journey” and the elastic “Permission.” The assertive rhythm team pushes her on the modal “Go There Now,” but she holds her own quite well and even comes across as a street preacher of sorts on the take of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.” An intriguing vocal choir mixes with percussion on “Secret Words” and she veers off the tried and true on an elliptical “Afro Blue.” She can be daring on her own as well, as she sounds confident with just piano on “Song at Seventeen” and with the bass on the “Improvised Raga.” If you want something a bit left of The Great American Songbook,” here’s a place to go.
Rinny Zin Records