John Allee (vocals, composer, arranger,
additional lyrics); Mahesh Balasooriya (piano); Aaron Mclendon (drums); Dominic
Thiroux (bass); Javier Vergara (saxophone); Matt Von Roderick (trumpet).
(Review by Ann Alex)
Is Lance favouring me with the most
unusual, interesting CDs to review? I ask after listening to this latest
humdinger by John Allee, veteran stage and TV actor and singer/songwriter from
LA. We get 13 delightful tracks of songs from Shakespeare's plays, set to jazz,
with some added lyrics by Allee, who adopts the persona of Feste the jester.
The plays range from Othello to Henry IV to Hamlet and the
music includes elements of blues, ballads, swing, and even hymns and spoken
word.
I have a theory that
jazz is especially suitable to accompany Shakespeare's work. I've heard it at
many performances; the universal 'feel' sits well with the Bard's universal
themes, and much of the music played in the time of Shakespeare was dance music
anyway, their 'swing'. The CD begins with Allee speaking to us over a piano
jazz groove, introducing the band and setting the scene. Then comes the calm,
slow strains of Until the Break of Day, followed by Tomorrow Is St Valentine's Day, with suitably saucy-sounding comments from the trumpet.
Philomel/Hold Thy Peace (You Spotted
Snakes) took me back to
schooldays when I sang this, but this version is much more fun, done as swing
with scat. Oh Mistress Mine is
a song of seduction and the shortness of life, a common Shakespearian theme and
Sigh No More is a sensitive ballad with a pleasing sax solo. The
Hungry Lion is a sly creepy number about graveyards, with a final dissonant
chord. Green Willow is gentle and sad and Full Fathom Five has a
suitable 'under water' feel from the mellow instrumentation. Then comes the
lively irony of Heigh Ho The Holly, and Allee brings out the meaning of
the words skilfully ' most friendship is failing, most loving mere folly.' Come
Away Death is slow with a bass solo, which is the right instrument to
portray death (hope no bass players are offended). Then another death song Never
Come Again, and a humorous song to finish, The Wind and the Rain, which
outlines the stages of human life.
It goes without saying that the
instrumentalists are well up to and beyond the mark. John Allee has performed
in many Shakespeare plays, including Twelfth Night and he has also
played in the Benjamin Britten musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
It is worth noting that the CD deserves careful listening to catch the full
meaning of the lyrics, maybe hearing the album three times would hardly be
enough. The CD has been available everywhere from October 11 on the Portuguese
Knees Music label. See www.johnallee.com
Ann
Alex
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