The first impression you get about this album is its beautiful packaging: a cardboard box containing a blue felt-covered notebook, which shows the song lyrics, photographs of scenes and personnel, and many blank pages for your own notes. I suppose you could write replies to the songs!
The
next surprise is that this is the debut album of a Slovakian singer, and, with the exception of the Bratislava Hot Serenaders, Slovakia isn't a country noted for jazz, but rather for classical and folk
music. If this CD is an example of Slovakian jazz then we have much to look
forward to.
Ms Wiesnerova knew jazz from listening to her mother's records, and went on to study at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. She taught and performed at festivals and clubs worldwide, before returning home when the pandemic struck. The lockdown gave Ms Wiesnerova a chance to think about her experiences and her own identity, after having immersed herself in American culture and the English language.
Our singer has a pleasing soprano-toned voice, with good phrasing and clear diction. These self-penned songs concern issues of identity and current problems. Influences of Maria Schneider and Luciana Souza are mentioned but I noticed mainly traces of Joni Mitchell, both in the vocal quality and the wide leaps of pitch.
The musicians, British, American, Japanese and Slovakian, are well skilled and do long solos also, instruments not listed appear in some songs, such as the wooden flute on Nightingales And Maple Trees, to portray nature. The harp is effective instead of the more usual piano. Notable songs include Burrito, about a skilled burrito chef, introduced by newscast voices concerning Trump's Mexican wall, singing to a Latin rhythm with clapping. The music for this track was improvised, based on the lyrics.
Thirsty is about someone thirsting for real communication which isn't supplied by social media. Citlivli (Sensitive) is the words of a Slovakian poet, played with a sensitive deep sax, sung in Slovakian. I'm Not Spinning If It Rains has vocal gymnastics which suits the title and the album is rounded off well with Epilogue, layers of wordless singing by multiple voices, the instruments playing at full pelt.
Fancy a trip to Bratislava? That is where you must go for the album release party which is on May 20. After that the album will be available everywhere. See www.esterwiesnerova.com
Sinking Deep; Circles; Burrito; Thirsty; Feet Are Screaming; Nightingales And Maple Trees; Who Are You Now; Citlivli; Dripping; I'm Not Spinning If It Rains; Epilogue
Ann Alex
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