 |
| © Robert Ricard |
Laila
Biali (vocals, piano, arr.); George Koller (bass); Ben Wittman (drums, perc.);
Glenn Patscha (B3); Kevin Turcotte (trumpet); William Carn (trombone, horn
arr.); Tara Davidson (alto sax); Kelly Jefferson (tenor sax); Shirantha Beddage
(baritone sax); David Quackenbush (French horn)
Back in the days of my blinkered youth I'd have regarded the coupling of Joni Mitchell and jazz as bizarre as Ronnie Scott's famed one liner - "... and next week it's Jim Dale sings Thelonious Monk!"
Well Jim Dale is but a forgotten name in the annals of pop history whereas the work of Joni Mitchell, as horizons widen, is held in the highest regard by musos of all genres. It probably began for me through her collaboration with the great bassist Charles Mingus and grew.
Biali, like Mitchell of
Canadian origin, has several albums to her name, won multi-awards been Grammy
nominated and supported (quote) internationaal icon Sting.
Free Man in Paris - a digital only single release cover of Joni's version is well worth chasing up. The voice, smoother than Joni's but equally effective, is built around an arrangement that could have been written by Mingus himself. Biali's arranging skills are on a par with her singing which is top of the heap. Blasts by alto, tenor and B3 leap out from the ensembles and the slightly wild, yet triumphant, finale by the band suggests that the break in Paris has relieved the pressures that triggered the trip.
I hope it eventually becomes part of an album, it's too good to vanish into cyberspace like my digi downloads usually do. I want to fondle the album, read the sleeve and place the disc - be it vinyl or CD - with tender loving care on the player and let the sound waves engulf me. Lance Luddite
No comments :
Post a Comment