CD Review: Simone Kopmajer - Spotlight On Jazz

Simone Kopmajer (vocals); Terry Myers (tenor sax, clarinet);  Paul Urbanek (piano); Martin Spitzer (guitar);  Karl Sayer (bass);  Reinhardt Winkler (drums)

(Review by Ann Alex).

Simone Kopmajer hails from Schladming in Austria. She sang regularly with her father’s band from the age of 12 and later went on to gain a Masters degree. She has studied with the likes of Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy, and has performed in Europe, USA and South East Asia. This is the 13^th album on which she is featured as a leader, and a fine album it is too, giving us 7 band originals which sound as if they could be songs from the 1940s and 50s, as well as 6 standards. I noticed especially the unusual endings to some tracks, such as sudden stops, or simply ending the song at an ‘A’ section as on Mood Indigo, a pleasant change from the more usual repetition of the last line.

Ms Kopmajer’s voice is pleasantly expressive with no hint of a foreign accent, and the original tracks are real swingers, some with both lyrics and music written by our singer. These include Spotlight (‘it’s alright, it won’t be long, time will bring a happier song’); Mighty, Tender Love (a faster swing); Remember Jeannie; A Gift From Buddy (slow love song); Dig That Riff (a boppy number with a sudden end); You Don’t Call Me (a song with the theme of Black Coffee); We’re Goin’ In (the whole band playing in a lively party fashion).

The standards include an outstanding take on Exactly Like You, with drums and voice to open and scat singing which is very close to the sound and rhythm of the clarinet; Pennies From Heaven, as a waltz; Poinciana; Struttin’ With Some Barbecue;  Stompin’ At The Savoy and Mood Indigo. Our singer allows plenty time for solos from sax, guitar and piano, and to round off the fun, there is a bonus track, a remix of Dig That Riff, with electronic effects, deep sax notes, tricky drumming and the singer doing improvisations with herself, a very up-to-date feel that I consider can still be described as jazz.

The CD was released on November 9, on Lucky Mojo records CD LC2894.

See www.simonekopmajer.com

Ann Alex