All the songs on this fine album were written and arranged by Ms Dodds, and they are well sung in collaboration with the above first call Scottish musicians whose names are not unknown to BSH readers. Ms Dodds is a highly respected singer from Edinburgh who has been performing in the UK and abroad since 2005, which includes headline gigs at London and Edinburgh Jazz Festivals, opening for Norma Winstone MBE, and collaborating with top names in UK jazz, such as guitarist Ant Law.
The songs are deeply personal, following on from the sudden death of Ms Dodds husband and fellow musician, Andrea Marongiu in 2014, at the age of 32, after which she found that she was unable to perform for 4 years. Our singer's journey in dealing with grief and its aftermath is cleverly outlined with no morbidity, just well written songs with interesting hooks, sometimes sad, sometimes optimistic about the future, showing a determination to live again.
'I've let it go, I blossom in indigo' she sings in the opening song. The final song This Is Where I Leave You is about letting go of the past and in between we have songs such as Lean Into The Fall, about learning to trust life again, and A Little Grace, in which the singer has a conversation with grief itself 'everything comes back to you'.
Ms Dodds has a pleasing voice, with some gentle scatting and her lower vocal tones are rich. The instrumentalists do their stuff well, with long solos, cleverly augmented by musical comments from the other players. For instance on the optimistic Lean Into The Fall, the piano ripples along to lively drums.
But don't just take my word about this singer's qualities! You can hear her for yourselves as she's coming to the Globe on June 19, so you don't need to travel to London, as detailed below.
The album is due for release on March 4 and there is an official launch at Pizza Express, Dean Street in London on March 7. The album is available on all streaming platforms and also via louisedoddsmusic.bandcamp.com. - Ann Alex
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