Lewandowski, an Englishman based in New York since 2017 and now a well-established and much respected part of that city's jazz community, hopped back across the Atlantic to record this delightful duo album with Liam Noble at the Vortex in London.
The duo had previously given a contemporary take on the music of Fats Waller and this time they turn their attention to some of the songs associated with Billie Holiday. Surprisingly the selection only includes two vocals, Billie's Blues and Left Alone, for which they used the unique, signature, sound of Heidi Vogel who does Billie proud.
All eleven tracks are impeccable. Noble totally captures the spirit of the original without any loss of individuality whilst Lewandowski is adamant that, like the Waller album, they are not regurgitating the past but presenting it in a way that is personal and current in its aesthetic.
Any one of the selections could, conceivably, be picked out by eleven different listeners as their stand out track without duplication. Personally, my vote would go for P.S I Love You. A bass feature, Lewandowski's full sound and perfect intonation coupled with his agility up and down the fingerboard make for an instrumental masterclass in itself but, more than that - much more than that - it is a work of artistic beauty helped along by Noble's introduction and his sympathetic support.
Check it out. Lance
Available mid July on Ubuntu Music UBU0146. Pre-order on Bandcamp.
Day Breaks; More Than You Know; This Year's Kisses; P.S. I Love You; What a Little Moonlight Can do; Billie's Blues; Lady Sings the Blues; Some Other Spring; The Still of the Night; Who Wants Love?; Left Alone.
No comments :
Post a Comment