Record albums are usually invitations to see the artist in concert, but in my case, I happened to hear vocalist Margot sing recently and was so impressed I had to check out to see if she sounded as attractive in the studio as at The Blue Whale. Hey, she does! This is an impressive disc, which has her honey toned voice deliver hints of a young Aretha Franklin and Phoebe Snow with a core team of Anthony Wonsey/key, Richie Goods/b and Kendrick Scott/dr.
Her voice has a natural affinity for soulful jazz a la vintage Les McCann with her crystalline voice floating in and around the keyboards and backbeat on “Black Butterfly” and the strutting “What You Won’t Do For Love” that has her in both conversational and muscular delivery. Roxy Coss brings some sax sensibilities to the slightly funky “It Could Be Sweet” while Margot avoids the crowd and does a full glowing moon reading of Joni Mitchell’s “Conversation.” She does a nice pax de deux with Goods’ bass on her own slithery “Yesterday’s Blues” and shows her ability to snap a bop groove on a straightahead take of “I Wish I Were In Love Again.” Her alluring voice draws you with re-assurance like a lullabye as gentle percussion and Spanish guitar create a fragrant “Delirio” and she shows her gravitas on with ominous bass and piano and Jeremy Pelt’s penetrating trumpet during “Holding Back the Tears.” This is music delivered by a lady who sounds clear, assured and able to create feeling to a lyric. Bravo!
Hipnotic Records