This album proves the point that “if it isn’t classical, pop or rock, it must be jazz”. But is it?
You have Rebecca Shrimpton on voice, reeds by Rick Stone, Lihi Haruvi, Phil Scarff and Melanie Howell Brooks. Strings by Helen Sherrah-Davies, vibes and marimba from Vessela Stoyanova and various guests on spoken word, background voices and various instrumentation.
The result?
There are five originals by Darrell Katz (who narrates one of the pieces) that range from over -artsty and avant garde operatic on “ Flotsametrics” to hints of 21st Century Spike Jones on “Guiding Narrative” spun by Shrimpton’s whimsical voice. Quirky only begins to describe “Outta Horn” and the chatterbox of “Women Talking”, and then all of a sudden you get into some intriguing takes of material like a sax-laden take of the Standells’ “Dirty Water”, a parlored “Sweet Baby James” and a wide vocal range of “Duke Ellington’s Sound Of Love”. Not exactly background music, bring your Whoopee Cushion to sit on for comfort.