An earlier Baylor Project album, The Journey, was reviewed on BSH by Ann
Alex back in January 2017. You can read her review HERE. Like The Journey, Generations also
has a core of musicians and a steady parade of guests to fill out the cast list.
Generations is an affirmation of faith and a tribute to all the
preceding generations in the family back to the days of emancipation. However,
it also reflects contemporary life and looks to the future. The past does not
bind, but provides the foundations for the future.
The music flows along through a
range of soul jazz settings, taking in Stax on Strivin’, Aretha on Happy to
Be with You and a more mellow eighties sound with strings on Love Makes Me Sing and that’s just the
first three songs. All these and the
others on the album are settings for Jean Baylor’s wonderful voice. It is rich
and expressive and while she scats and, occasionally, hollers, there is no
resorting to modern clichés or melismatic wailing.
One of the tracks, 2020 opens with a choral field slaves’
spiritual lament to suggest that not enough has changed since emancipation. This
develops into a big soul sound with a tremendous tenor solo by Keith Loftis and
some heavy duty pummelling from Marcus.
Most of the 12 songs are Jean and
Marcus Baylor co-compositions with only two covers, including Wayne Shorter’s Infant Eyes to which Jean has added
lyrics. Points to Shedrick Mitchell and Dezron Douglas for their understated
performance on this track. Just in case people were starting to think that it’s
not a jazz album, we get Blackboy
whereon Jean’s voice is set against Freddie Hendrix’ trumpet, strings, a rock
solid bass by Douglas again and powerful drumming by Marcus. The song builds
and swoops, shifting from a bare to a fuller arrangement, shifting and sliding
through a rollercoaster ride. Send the Jazz Police back to the station, this is
the genuine article!
There is a simpler sound to Only Believe which brings forth the pathos;
it could be Anita Baker singing I Can’t
Make You Love Me. Only Believe flows into some pulpit rattling on a short
closing number, Benediction that
features Apostle Larry J Bunker that features some revivalist shouting. Brevity
is its main virtue.
The Baylors also deserve points
for the quality of the arrangements. It can’t have been easy putting together
an album like this over three years with a pandemic to contend with as well,
but it doesn’t sound like a patchwork of offcuts that was cobbled together. It
is the arrangements and Jean Baylor’s voice that holds it together. These are
strong performances and worthy of their Grammy nomination. Impressive frocks
too
There’s more on the Baylors and
their project, including some performance videos (and more frocks) on their
website which can be found HERE.
(Btw Esperanza Spalding won the Best Jazz Vocal Grammy this year for Songwriters Apothecary Lab) - Dave Sayer
Jean Baylor (vocals, claps and stomps); Marcus Baylor (drums); Shedrick Mitchell, Terry Brewer (keys); Dezron Douglas, Ben Williams, DJ Ginyard, Richie Goods (bass); Ray Holloman, Marvin Sewell (guitar); Keith Loftis, Freddie Hendrix, Mark Williams, Christopher Michael Stevens, Aaron Goode, Korey Riker (horns) plus guests including Kenny Garrett, Jazzmeia Horn, Diane Reeves and various Baylor family members.
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