Italian born saxophonist/composer Accorsi is an adventurous spirit both as a player and a composer. She revels in subjects that your average jazzer would bypass. However, there's nothing average about this musician. Although jazz is at the core of her playing/writing there's also an element of folk peeping through.
Who is the Queen? doesn't refer to the current resident of that big house down The Mall but to the Queen of the famous Lewis chess set. Accorsi thinks the Queen looks bored and hopes the music will cheer her up. I'm sure it would with the solos from soprano, piano and drums.
Mary is inspired by Mary Oliver, an American poetess who believed that nature spoke to her and that rocks were alive. Well I don't know about that but there's lots going on. Accorsi reads (presumably) Mary's words with some trombone interjections. The arty bit over, we get some straight ahead jazz from Betty on soprano, piano from Hewson and more voice from Betty. It's quite magical.
Illusions refers to life beyond what we see. Is there shame or danger in believing in God, if it helps us to overcome difficulties? Betty sings, Andy solos. It's very deep and far removed from what I signed up for as a callow youth listening to Bird and Diz.
Song for A. A being Betty's husband Andrea. It's a love song to Andrea and to Wayne Shorter - "one of the first musicians to be inspired by nature, fairytales and poetry" . Her soprano solo has much in common with Wayne's approach. Piano, bass and drums also have their say.
Garden Trip is about the art of gardening and begins with Betty singing four lines: She goes to her fairy garden/Where she brings new seeds to breathe/All I do is give you a voice/So you can sing with me. A catchy theme follows with Hewson swinging merrily along and Betty blowing her sox off. The tempo changes make it all the more effective. Joe Edwards works out on the kit.
Carillion is sung in Italian and is seemingly about the healing power of nature. nice basswork from Hamill before the tempo speeds up - presumably this is the healing power kicking in - Betty blows sans inhibitions as if she'd OD'd on nature.
Molly is non other than Molly Malone, that tragic Dublin fishmonger long celebrated in song and Irish folklore. Betty sings the sad saga as well as playing an emotive solo. Piano, bass and drums play a funereal passage prior to the sad ending.
Glass Horse was inspired by a glass horse crafted by a talented Italian artisan on the Venetian island of Burano. Nice swinging soprano with piano at the top of his game (as he has been throughout). Amazing the inspiration one can draw from a glass horse!
Into the Forest, inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, in accordance with the title it's quite soporific although there's too much going on for it to deliver the whole forty winks.
It's a unique album and well worth checking it out when it's released on July 18. Lance
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