Arrica Rose & The ...'s - Let Alone Sea

Arrica Rose & The ...'s - Let Alone Sea
2011, pOprOck Records

You might say that performing is in Arrica Rose's bloodline.  Her great uncle, Lou Monte, was responsible for such novelty hits as "Pepino The Italian Mouse", "Dominick The Donkey" and "Lazy Mary".  Her father was a character actor in a series of mob films, including Mario Puzo's The Godfather.  Arrica Rose first picked up a guitar at the age of fifteen, cutting her musical teeth in L.A. area punk rock band Uxby and sharing the stage with acts such as Commander Venus, Still Life and Jimmy Eat World.  A detour through film school found her delving more into sound production and scoring, but Arrica Rose was destined for the stage.  Upon graduation, she formed her new band (the Dot, Dot, Dots).  Rose has continued to develop her sound.  The latest step in that development on August 22, 2011, when Rose's own pOprOck Records releases her third full-length album, Let Alone Sea.

Let Alone Sea blends ethereality and melancholy in pulsing doses of sound, with Arrica Rose's unique voice undulating across the soundscape like a wayward shooting star.  Sonically she's an intriguing blend of Tori Amos and Kate Bush, but stylistically she has a great deal in common with Hope Sandoval.  Rose shows a definite pop sensibility on the opening track, "Everybody", while offering up a pouty, sometimes sexy vocal line.  Her alto voice is both formless and distinct, undulating like a wave form coming in and out of phase.  This effect within the song's lush arrangement is intriguing.  "Sail Away" is a pretty ballad, set in the tones of an oil painting with ethereal brush strokes of sound set as highlights.  "If The World Won't Bend" is either a distinct show of faith or a disturbing subservience, dashed off in a pretty, languorous melody over yet another lush landscape of sound.

Rose changes pace with "Summer's Gonna Burn Me (So Are You)", blending elements of jazz, folk and ethereal pop.  This is the most intriguing work on the album, with Rose's blend of smooth sound and rough textures keeping the careful listener on edge throughout.  "Riverbed" flows like its title implies, while "Nothing Nada Nothing" and "Pot Of Gold" give solid structure to the back end of the album without standing out on their own.  Arrica Rose wraps up with a contemplative and halting medley entitled "Video Killed The Radio Star (Wonderful World)", which intermixes passages from The Buggles 1980's hit with Louis Armstrong's signature song.  It's an odd marriage that works almost in spite of itself.  Rose's voice is at its most enchanting here, and the gorgeous arrangement makes the whole affair seem like a dream you'll try to recapture once you wake.

Arrica Rose isn't going to appeal to everyone, but those who listen deeply and appreciate her almost other-worldly sound will be absolutely enchanted.  Let Alone Sea shows a musical vision that is far from highways and byways of pop radio, yet retains a deep pop sensibility that's inescapable.  Let Alone Sea is an album you can listen to a hundred times, each time picking out new layers and textures to discover.  You don't want to miss this one.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Arrica Rose & The ...'s at www.arricarose.com or www.myspace.com/arricarose. Let Alone Sea drops on August 22, 2011.  Keep checking Rose's website for availability.

Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart Of Mine

Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart Of Mine
2010, World Village/Harmonia Mundi S.A.

Catherine Russell has a voice you’ve heard many times even if you don’t know who she is. The New York City born daughter of Luis Russell (Louis Armstrong’s musical director) and Carline Ray (bassist and vocalist), Russell has performed or recorded with the likes of Paul Simon, David Bowie, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Jackson Browne and Rosanne Cash. In April of this year, Russell released her third studio album, Inside This Heart Of Mine, cementing her reputation as one of the most original voices in Jazz.

Russell opens with the title track. "Inside This Heart Of Mine" juxtaposes a regretful vocal line with a jaunty bass line, and Russell makes the most of this happy accident with a smooth voice you could listen to all day. The backing band is nothing to sneeze at either. On "All The Cats Join In" Russell gives us a healthy dose of gentle swing in a song about both the benefits and potential bedevilment of a good party. Russell does a splendid job with "We The People", but her band nearly steals the show with absolutely inspired play, layering solos one over the other in a way that should sound crowded but manages not to. Pianist Mark Shane is particularly impressive whether taking a solo lead or filling in and around Russell's angelic voice.

Russell shows her bluesy side on "Troubled Waters", lamenting the power of gossip to ruin a life, but returns to lighter fare with the classic-sounding love song "As Long As I Live". Russell's temperate alto inhabits this song and brings forth a sound so lovely and warm you'll be moved. The Sarah Vaughan comparisons are going to be made, particularly after this song. Hints of Reinhardt & Venuti can be heard in "Just Because You Can", with Russell taking vocal but sharing the stage equally with guitarist Matt Munisteri and violinist Sara Caswell. Russell is at her sharpest here, making the instruments step-for-step.

Russell excels at the upbeat "Close Your Eyes", and proceeds to start a musical party with "Quiet Whiskey", displaying the wit and enthusiasm the song calls for many times over. Once again, pianist Shane tries to steal the show with absolutely inspired play. You'll hear the sounds and strains of New Orleans on "Slow As Molasses" before Russell launches into the closing number, "Struttin' With Some Barbecue", a magical Dixieland number that will get you dancing.

Catherine Russell could suddenly appear in any era of American Jazz music and be a star. Her voice could fit comfortably amidst those of Holliday, Vaughan and Fitzgerald. Just as good is her backing band, which lights up the soundboard behind her. Inside This Heart Of Mine is destined for critics' year end lists.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Catherine Russell at http://www.catherinerussell.net/ or www.myspace.com/catrussell. Inside This Heart Of Mine is available from Amazon as either a CD or Download. Digital copies are also available via iTunes.

Review: Michele Thomas - I'll Take Romance

Michele Thomas - I'll Take Romance
2009, Michele Thomas

Chicago's Michele Thomas is a Jazz vocalist with a sweet voice and a predilection for the Jazz/Funk/Soul sound of the 1970's. Her debut album, I'll Take Romance focuses on standards, but you'll hear that 1970's sound slipping in and out from time to time. Thomas has a sweet voice within her comfort zone, but does struggle at times with pitch and tone when she stretches herself. There's not too much stretching on I'll Take Romance, however.

Thomas opens with the title track, and a velvety-smooth Jazz vocal that has some foibles but stands fairly well on its own. Thomas' band is top-notch, building arrangements around her voice that are pitch perfect. Black Nile brings Thomas into her upper register a bit. Thomas' doesn't have the knockout power of a Billie Holliday and isn't quite comfortable at the lower edge of her range, but in her comfort zone she's a fine vocalist. Thomas shines on Where Were You When I Needed You, a cover of Stevie Wonder's Superwoman (using the subtitle rather than the title). Thomas doesn't try to do too much with Wonder's creation, just lets the song be itself. The result is the best vocal performance on the disc.

Thomas gets to show off her scat skills on Charlie Parker's Marmaduke. Scat is a deceptive art; it sounds easy until you try to do it. The key is let go and let it happen - if you think it over too much it doesn't work. Thomas is brilliant here; mixing her voice with runs and solos on guitar, sax, trumpet and drums. Thomas takes on the Guy Wood/Robert Mellin penned My One And Only Love to great effect. This song perhaps doesn't get the respect it deserves these days, but in its time its been covered by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Doris Day & Andre Previn, John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Sting. Thomas is on the money once again in a reserved performance that's thoroughly in character with the song. Astrud Gilberto's Gentle Rain is up next, and Thomas gives it her all but starts to run up against her own limits on a challenging vocal line. Thomas' sound is still excellent, but this particular tune takes tremendous breath control and Thomas struggles a bit in a couple of the longer, slower passages. Thomas closes out wit Duke Ellington's Come Sunday in a heartfelt but vocally mixed performance. The synth-driven arrangement doesn't really suit the song all that well, and to strip it down this much you really need to be able to take control of the song, which Thomas never really does.

I'll Take Romance is a good start. Michele Thomas can certainly sing; it's her ambition that gets her into trouble. One some of the more challenging tracks on I'll Take Romance Thomas exposes her flaws, but in a day and age full of pitch-correcting software and endless over-dubbing it's refreshing to hear someone willing to stretch themselves and know what you do hear is real. Michele Thomas doesn't have the power to belt out songs, and sticks to surfing the more lyric side of jazz, generally to highly enjoyable effect.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Michele Thomas at http://www.michelethomas.net/. You can purchase Messenger as either a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.

Review: Movin' Melvin Brown - The Magic Of You

Movin' Melvin Brown - The Magic Of You
2007, Melvin Brown

Movin' Melvin Brown may just be the last of the great song and dance men. His shows are an artists' depiction of what might happen if the likes of Same Cooke, Louis Armstrong, The Platters, James Brown, Ray Charles and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson all took the stage together for one night. Brown sings, dances, taps, clogs and performs comedic soliloquies in the course of a stage show that leaves audiences begging for more. Brown isn't just a mimic, he practically inhabits the memories of artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, as if the late, great stars stood before you on stage once more, if only for one night. Brown's 2007 release, The Magic Of You, finds Brown moving from persona to persona as he navigates his way through 17 vibrant tunes that run the gamut between Soul, R&B, Rock N Roll and the Blues.

Brown has added a newer song to The Magic Of You in honor of Barack Obama. I Have A Dream (Obama Dream Theme Song) is an update of the great Martin Luther King, Jr. speech as inspired by Obama's historic run for President of the United States. Whoto Man is an overtly political song that reads like a diatribe against dishonorable politicians. This kind of modern, mostly spoken-word material doesn't fit quite so well with Brown's persona. The same can be said to a degree about Communication. It's a great message steeped in cultural politics, but the message in this case overpowers the singer. People, on the other hand, finds Brown more in his element, with classic R&B vibes and a nasty funk bass line and Brown losing himself in the classic sounds.

The Magic Of You finds Brown channeling Ray Charles so close to true you'll do an aural double take. One of the true highlights of the disc is the jaunty My Love Is Real. The arrangement almost borders on cheesy at times, but Brown is spot on in one of the best performances on the album. Master Of The Beat gets Brown into full funk/disco mode with a country flavored guitar lead. It's an odd tune but wonderfully entertaining to listen to. There's almost a Creedence Clearwater Revival "Swamp Rock" thing going on here. I Ain't Got Time is another favorite. Movin' Melvin Brown is absolutely vocally inspired here. Other highlights include Can You Feel and Special.

Movin' Melvin Brown translates pretty well to CD, but my guess is that there is nothing quite like a live show with this man. Nevertheless The Magic Of You is quite a treat. Brown is at his best digging into a classic R&B or Blues sound, but is more than competent on everything else. There are a couple of slow moments on the album, but in general it's a fine offering. The Magic Of You is recommended for all ages, as much of the music Brown is practically universal across generations A great listen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Movin' Melvin Brown at http://www.movinmelvin.com/ where you can purchase a copy of The Magic Of You.