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| (Screenshot by Russell) |
Cyrille Aimée (vocals, guitar); Michaël Valeanu (guitar)
It was International Jazz Day but it didn't seem to register with Mezzrow. Spike Wilner's Greenwich Village basement venue presents jazz seven nights a week, International Jazz Day or not. And on this day, vocalist extraordinaire Cyrille Aimée and partner, guitarist Michaël Valeanu, had a new album to promote.
I'll Be Seeing You is Aimée and Valeanu's new recording, their first as a duo, although they have recorded together several times in various line-ups. Mezzrow opened its doors to an audience and it was a sellout. That tells only half the story...social distancing measures limited numbers to just thirteen lucky people!
An unannounced first number, Aimée singing in French, the title eluded your reviewer. The title track - I'll Be Seeing You (Sammy Fain-Irving Kahal) - didn't pose any problems, similarly, Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise, the latter's coda morphing into Hit the Road Jack. Aimée is a vocalist right out of the top drawer: animated, expressive, dynamic and utterly fearless, her voice her instrument, 'soloing' as any horn player would do. Wordless vocals, scat, Aimée is a captivating performer. Her partner, Valeanu, from Pigalle, Paris, is as good as any guitarist adopting the role of accompanist to, in this case, Aimée the vocalist.
A new tune, so new, our duo have yet to think of a title, featured Valeanu's classy guitar playing and Aimée's strummed guitar! Another number, again sung in French, sounded good but, as for the title...
An inventive and effective take on How Deep is the Ocean? drew appreciative applause from the lucky few and the set closer, the first track on the new album, Bye Bye Blackbird, once again featured the unmistakable voice of Ms Aimée. Russell
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