CD Review: Natalie Cressman And Mike Bono - Etchings In Amber

Natalie Cressman (vocals, lyrics, composer); Mike Bono (acoustic guitar, composer on some tracks)

(Review by Ann Alex).

Raised in a ‘Frisco musical household, daddy a long-time member of Santana and ma a jazz vocalist in her own right, Natalie Cressman, who also plays trombone, albeit not on this disc, currently tours the eastern seaboard and this is, actually, her third album.

New York-based Mike Bono composes, teaches and gigs around the city as well as occasional trips further afield. His second album.

The voice is smoky sweet and the guitar playing, flowing, lyrical and easy on the ear. However, I don’t think I could listen to this CD except as vaguely pleasant background music for many reasons. The music is said to be jazz-influenced but I couldn’t detect that at all, as there didn’t appear to be any improvisation and little guitar soloing.  I’m not sure how to classify the music if I had to, perhaps I’d say contemporary folk. I couldn’t make out some of the words being sung.  There was an insert showing the lyrics which were written in an attractive calligraphy style, but the print was too small – please pass me the BSH magnifying glass, which doesn’t exist, but should!  And I had problems with the words that I could read!  I think the songs were love songs, mostly of lost love, but much of it was incomprehensible, with some words which seemed to have been inserted in order to rhyme. The titles of the songs included Wind Of Whims; Picture; Trapped In Forever; Folds Of Time.

This is a shame as both musicians have talent and I think they would have been more successful singing jazz standards and contemporary folk songs, then tackling their own compositions later on.

The CD is released on Cressman Music on October 7.  See www.nataliecressman.com and

www.mikebonomusic.com   

Ann Alex.