Last year, vocalist Cecile McClorin Salvant became the darling of the jazz crowd with her justifiably impressive “Woman Child” album. This time she ups the ante and creates an album that is almost like walking through an art gallery. Each song comes across like a painting that needs to be studied for it’s own intrinsic qualities. She’s teamed up with, and I mean it’s a TEAM, with Aaron Diehl/p, Paul Sikivie/b and Lawrence Leathers/dr for a collection of standards, obscurities and originals. what comes across is that this lady is a force to be dealt with and admired, but while there is a ton of sophisticated art to appreciate, the complexities are almost overwhelming to the ear.
He voice is amazingly elastic, one minute she delivers a hint of Blossom Dearie, and then swoops up and down like Sarah Vaugh. Even a dash of Big Maybelle comes up as whe sounds like a plunger valved trumpet on the riveting “Growlin’ Dan.” There’s a take of “The Trolley Song” that gives a dash of Judy Garland’s effervescence, but the groove changes so many times that the whole vehicle almost veers off the rail. “Something’s Coming” is a 10 minute opus that is startling in its various hues and moods, and while it must be magnificent to watch, the side bars keep hinting at, but never reaching the mood of the piece. It’s treated like a work of art to be stared at, and not a set of words to be taken in. Her Francophone delivery of “Le Mal de Vivre” is intricate and intimate, and “Fog” is wonderfully moody. The album is impressive, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of each piece. Would you listen to this album over and over?
Mack Avenue Jazz