CD Review: Noemi Nuti - Venus Eye

Noemi Nuti (vocals/Paraguayan harp/classical harp); Chris Eldred (keys); Tom Herbert (bass); Emiliano Caroselli (drums); Gareth Lochrane (flute) + Quentin Collins (trumpet).

(Review by Lance).

Music, and jazz in particular, is strange. Preconceptions of an album or a gig go out the window once the music starts.

With gigs you don't get a second chance, you judge them on your first impression. Recorded music is different, if it doesn't grab you the first time round you maybe pick up on it the second or third time. It isn't always love at first sight although, occasionally it is and this is just such an occasion.

The moment I heard the first line of the first track - "It's a sunny perfect Sunday" I knew I was going to like this even though it was a rainy Thursday. This was a jazz voice and although I didn't detect any obvious influences which, these days is rare, her roots are laid out and it's good to hear an original voice that has something to say. On the slower numbers I could feel the distant presence of the jazzier side of Janis Ian or Joni Mitchell hovering on the periphery. Certainly, by Nuti's own admission, the latter lady shows in her own lyrics (Nuti provided both words and music to 6 of the 11 tracks 3 of the remaining 5 are collaborations with Andrew McCormack, and 2 are covers - Tori Amos and Billy Joel).

Joel along with Paul Simon and Mitchell were cited when referring to her compositional inspirations.

Nuti also has moments on harp and Gareth Lochrane does some fine flute playing over a solid rhythm section.

Although born in NYC, her Italian descent comes to the fore in Italian Lullaby, sung in that language, with a superb Lochrane flute solo. Her out and out jazz chops are ably demonstrated on Amos' Cornflake Girl. This is straight out of the "How to do Scat Properly" book that someone, someday, somewhere, may write.

Crazy Dance is totally wordless and it moves! Nuti sails through the bouncy jaunt, her voice a virtuosic performance with Lochrane in there too.

Joel's She's Always a Woman to me has some tasty trumpet from Quentin Collins although you might need a magnifying glass to know it was he (if you didn't recognise his distinctive sound). As ever, the album notes are pastel shades on pastel shades - whatever happened to black and white? Still you buy a CD for the music not to have a good read - Ah those wonderful old vinyl days...

Worth checking out.

Lance.

Available on Ubuntu Music from March 6.