A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Aimée Allen began singing as a child and has since sung all over the world. In Paris singing lots of bossa nova, and now performing regularly in New York City. Her voice covers a large range and incorporates many tonal variations. On this latest release she leads a group of master musicians who are joined on one track by Aimee's nephew, trumpet player Noah Allen.
The band play well in a style which I'd describe as a wall of sound if it was pop music, but I'm unsure of how it's described in jazz. Rich, full sound with solos from mostly piano or bass, arising out of the whole rather than 'set' pieces, and very satisfying to listen to.
All but three of the tracks are originals composed by Ms Allen. Always difficult when you hear originals for the first time, and I have to admit that I found some of these heavy going. Songs about climate change, quantum mechanics, a song for those lost to Covid, a protest in honour of an ordinary man, serious songs with articulate, heartfelt lyrics. Maybe a listener needs to hear songs of this nature many times to fully grasp their meaning.
I did instantly enjoy Little Sunflower which was driving and full of energy. Crystal Silence/500 Miles High worked well with voice and comments from the trumpet over a rumbling piano. Mortally Immortal, with lyrics by the singer to the tune of Mozart's Requiem, and featuring a bowed bass also worked well, as did the final track, an original, Worlds Collide, a love song with astronomical references.
The album is available everywhere on the Azuline Music label. See www.aimeeallenmusic.com and, even as you read this, she is, tonight (Oct. 15), performing at Hampstead Jazz Club! Ann Alex
Little Sunflower; Earth is Waiting; Quantum Entanglements; Crystal Silence/500 Miles High; Star Eyes; Love's Crescendo; Reaction Time; Mortally Immortal (Requiem); The Comet's Tail; Man Ripples Through Time; Hidden Place; Worlds Collide
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