Today, jazz is transforming and evolving at an unprecedented speed, and as if in response to this, the world of jazz vocals is also developing in diverse ways. Among the talents of this new era, Samara Joy, whom I introduced in a previous issue of my column (No.65 ♯218), is a singer who can be called the best. In addition, this month I spotlighted Cecile McLorin Salvant and Gretchen Parlato, who are already big names in their own right, and promising rising star Caity Gyorgy, and listened to new releases from each of them.
#223 Cecile McLorin Salvant’s Latest Album Full of Artistic Sense
MELUSINE / Cecile McLorin Salvant
(Nonesuch-075597906400)
Cecile McLorin Salvant is one of the best contemporary jazz vocalists and the most cutting-edge artists in the genre. She performs a repertoire that transcends genres, with a supple voice that evokes the tradition of jazz vocals yet allows you to feel her free sensibilities. Born to a Haitian father and a French mother, Cecile studied classical music before turning to jazz. In 2010, she won the Thelonious Monk Competition, a gateway to success for new talents. She won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album three times, including “For One to Love” in 2016, “Dreams and Daggers” in 2018, and “The Window” in 2019.
In her album “MELUSINE,” released this spring, her songs in French and Haitian tell the story of the European female folkloric legend of Melusine. “I learned vocal improvisation from Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter. My music is jazz and blues with elements of folk music and musicals,” she said. All these elements are sublimated in her and expressed as the unmistakable musical language of Cecile McLorin Salvant. The album begins with chanson pieces by Leo Ferre and Charles Trenet and then moves on to her original numbers. In addition, the composition of the album, which includes traditional songs sung and passed down by medieval bards, is full of artistic sensibility, as if it were a solo exhibition of fine art. She has created perfect sounds by working together with her members, including her best musical partner, pianist Sullivan Fortner, who came to Japan with her this past June. The album is filled with rich stories and has terrific sounds.
#224 Beautiful Album that Makes You Feel Time Passes Slowly
Lean In / Gretchen Parlato
(Core Port RPOZ-10085)
Gretchen Parlato sings the melodies in a light, dancing manner with the rhythmic and percussive guitar of Lionel Loueke. Her husky singing style gives a cool impression, but she actually has a tremendously powerful emotion inside. Her sense of rhythm and expressions with delicacy and fine intonations are overwhelming. Born in Los Angeles in 1976, she moved to New York in 2003 and came to prominence after winning the Thelonious Monk Competition. In addition to winning Best Rising Star Female Vocalist in Downbeat Critics Poll in 2011, she has also been nominated for a Grammy Award for two of her albums, “Live in New York” (2015) and “Flor” (2022).
Her latest album, “Lean In,” recorded last spring, is a collaboration with Loueke, with whom she has continued a musical partnership since her debut. The songs are mainly rhythmic originals by Parlato and works that remind us of Loueke’s roots in the Republic of Benin, West Africa. The album also includes lyrical numbers such as ＜Muse＞ (by Parlato) and ＜Painful Joy＞ (by Loueke). Personally, I am delighted by their cover of the disco ballad ＜I Miss You,＞ which was a big hit in the mid-80s. If you listen carefully, you’ll feel intense inspiration, but you can also feel the sound refreshing, like a pleasant breeze blowing through, depending on how you listen. The two artists’ restrained and intelligent aesthetics, in which time seems to flow slowly, are mesmerizing.
#225 Collection of Works by Jerome Kern by Young Talent Caity Gyorgy
YOU’RE ALIKE, YOU TWO / Caity Gyorgy
(MUZAK MZCF-1456)
Caity Gyorgy is a young Canadian singer who came to prominence in a flash with her two albums, “Portrait of Caity Gyorgy ” and “Featuring,” released last year. She has won “Best Jazz Vocal Album of The Year” at The Juno Awards, also known as Canada’s Grammy Award, two years in a row, and her latest album is “YOU’RE ALIKE, YOU TWO.”
Caity also has a great talent for songwriting, and most pieces of the album “Featuring” consisted of her originals. While in the latest album , she sings only the works of a famous musical composer, Jerome Kern. The person providing backing is Mark Limacher, a pianist who is also active as an arranger in Canada. Although singing with only the backing of a piano, Caity’s expressions are changing as she wishes, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. She sings confidently, with full-fledged scat singing that is hard to imagine from her charming appearance. From the first song, ＜Nobody Else But Me,＞ the charm of her vivid scat is on full display! Her singing style is exquisite and exudes a strong jazzy personality. On the other hand, in ballads such as ＜Yesterdays＞ and ＜April Fooled Me,＞ she puts a lot of thought into each word of the lyrics. Only ＜The Bartender,＞ the last track on the album, is an original song by Caity, and it is also a song with a mature and tasteful resonance.
About the Author
Masamichi Okazaki
Surrounded by various kinds of music from his childhood, Masamichi Okazaki joined Waseda University Modern Jazz Club. He started contributing articles to music magazines when he was a student. He covers wide range of music not only trad, modern and contemporary jazz, but also from pops to classics. He writes liner notes for CDs and LPs, and is a regular contributor to “JAZZ JAPAN,” “STEREO,” and others. He joined a big band, “Shiny Stockings,” as a saxophone player. He is a director of The Music Pen Club Japan (MPCJ).
