The
fifth album from singer Melissa Stylianou - No Regrets (to be released Oct. 28,
2014, Anzic Records) - is all about the joy of spontaneity and making the most
of the moment. The Canadian-born, New York-based vocalist recorded a set of
jazz standards and other favorites in a live-to-two-track, noon-to-night studio
session - old-school - backed by an ultra-simpatico trio of New York all-stars:
pianist Bruce Barth, double-bassist Linda Oh and drummer Matt Wilson, with
stylish guest spots by clarinetist Anat Cohen and alto saxophonist Billy
Drewes. The New Yorker has described Stylianou as "an unmannered and
affecting jazz singer with a taste for choice material," and past albums
have seen her put a personal spin on songs from Björk and Joanna Newsom to Johnny
Cash to Tom Waits, not to mention her own lovely original compositions. Jazz
standards have been a part of the mix, too, but No Regrets - intimately
produced by Oded Lev-Ari - sees Stylianou delve into vintage material like
never before. She sings songs by likes of the Gershwins, Jerome Kern and Duke
Ellington, along with a Billie Holiday tune, a vocal twist on Thelonious Monk,
the indigo-hued chestnut "A Nightingale Can Sing the Blues" and, as a
left-field inclusion, a folk setting of Yeats, "Down by the Salley
Gardens." This beautiful album once again underscores why DownBeat
Magazine has called her a "sophisticated storyteller" and an
"original."
Stylianou
- a 38-year-old Brooklyn resident initially schooled in acting - has been
turning heads since the turn-of-the-century, her skills as a performer honed
over a five-year Friday-night residency at the Rex Hotel jazz club in her
native Toronto and, more recently, in an ongoing multi-year run at the 55 Bar
in New York's West Village. Reviewing Stylianou's Silent Movie, her previous
Anzic album, JazzTimes declared that she had advanced to "the forefront of
contemporary vocalists, rivaling the storytelling élan of Joni Mitchell and
Carly Simon." With No Regrets, Stylianou builds on her varied New York experiences
while revisiting the repertoire she learned and loved in her early Canadian
club days.
"This
album, both the material and the way we recorded it, are very different from my
previous four - it's like coming full circle for me," Stylianou explains.
"Singing jazz standards in clubs was how I really learned to be a singer,
since I studied acting instead of going to music school. Spontaneity and a
sense of play were the rule in that environment, and I absorbed the style
naturally. 'Remind Me,' 'I'll Never Be the Same Again,' 'Polka Dots and
Moonbeams' and 'Humming to Myself' are songs I've been in love with ever since
those days - they're inside my voice, inside me. Even 'Down by the Salley
Gardens' comes from my days in Canada. We're lovers of Irish culture up there,
and I learned the tune during tipsy singalongs on St. Patrick's Day. I did it
on this album as just a duo with Matt Wilson on drums. It's very elemental,
highlighting its merits as a lovely story in song."
No
Regrets is the sound of Stylianou letting go and "having the most fun I've
ever had in a recording studio," she says. "I tend to be an
over-thinker in my personal life, but I'm drawn to living in the moment when it
comes to music. The title No Regrets refers to that sense of leaping in, being
fully yourself and taking risks without second-guessing. Oded Lev-Ari, who also
produced Silent Movie, is so good at fostering a sense of spontaneity and ease
in the studio, even when you're recording live with no overdubs and doing the
whole album in a day. He manages to be both hands-on and hands-off. The session
felt so free, with everyone giving so generously of themselves to the songs and
to the moment. Everybody approached the music seriously - but without taking
ourselves too seriously. There was a blend of humor and urgency, as if we were
playing a really great gig in the studio."
The
virtuoso rhythm section supporting Stylianou throughout No Regrets - pianist
Bruce Barth, bassist Linda Oh and drummer Matt Wilson - had never played
together as a trio before, coming together specifically for the singer.
Characteristically, Wilson's participation helped set the high-spirited tone.
"Matt's good vibes are famous - he approaches music with a sense of play,
as something fun," Stylianou says. "More than that, he listens so
hard that he inspires everyone else to do the same. Working with Matt is like
working with a magician - he makes incredible things happen that you'd never
expect."
Regarding
Bruce Barth, Stylianou enthuses: "I've had a musical crush on Bruce for a
long time. The man swings so hard, and he's great with on-the-spot
arrangements, like for 'Remind Me.' Plus, playing with him is so easy and
joyful because he's an incredible accompanist who genuinely loves singers and songs."
New to Stylianou, bassist Linda Oh was Lev-Ari's suggestion for the session - a
happy introduction. "I was so impressed with Linda's musicality and her
beautiful sound, as well as how much she put into the music," the singer
says. "Her long solo intro for 'I Wish I Knew' is wonderfully
personal."
The
guest horn players brought further personalized virtuosity to several tracks,
with clarinetist Anat Cohen soloing on "Somebody's on My Mind" and
"I'll Never Be the Same" and saxophonist Billy Drewes on "I Got
It Bad (and That Ain't Good)" and "A Nightingale Sings the
Blues." Stylianou says: "Anat was a key part of the sound of Silent
Movie and to have her back was a treat. She's a kindred spirit with Matt - this
seriously playful, or playfully serious, musician. Her sheer pleasure in making
music spurs everyone around her to go for it. On the spur of the moment, Oded
suggested having 'Somebody's on My Mind' be just clarinet, bass and voice - and
I think it turned out special that way." As for Drewes, the singer says:
"Billy brings a distinctive edge on alto, contributing so much soul and
feeling."
Stylianou
will present No Regrets on December 2 at an album-release show at New York
City's Jazz Standard, with Bruce Barth, Linda Oh and Matt Wilson reprising
their roles from the recording - as will Billy Drewes. Stylianou's fellow
singers in the vocal group Duchess - Amy Cervini and Hilary Gardner (with whom
she has a new album in the can) - will add more color. Prior to the Manhattan
show, Stylianou will celebrate the release of No Regrets in Canada with three
nights at Toronto's Jazz Bistro, Nov. 20-22. The band for the Canadian shows
will be pianist Jamie Reynolds, bassist Andrew Downing and Matt Wilson on
drums.
"I'm
so looking forward to performing the songs of No Regrets live with these
musicians," Stylianou says. "I gave myself permission to let go while
making this album - because I've found that the emotions of the songs come
through best that way. I hope listeners feel something of the freedom and fun
that we experienced making it."
Melissa
Stylianou: No Regrets
1.
"Nice Work If You Can Get It" (George & Ira Gershwin)
2.
"Remind Me" (Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields, arr. Bruce Barth)
3.
"I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)" (Duke Ellington, Paul Francis
Webster)
4.
"Humming to Myself" (Sammy Fain, Herb Magidson, Monty Siegel)
5.
"I Wish I Knew" (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren)
6.
"Somebody's on My Mind" (Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie Holiday)
7.
"Down by the Salley Gardens" (William Butler Yeats, traditional)
8.
"A Nightingale Can Sing the Blues" (Dick Charles, Larry Marks)
9.
"I'll Never Be the Same" (Matt Malneck, Gus Kahn, Frank Signorelli)
10.
"Polka Dots and Moonbeams" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke)
11.
"I Mean You" (Thelonious Monk, Jon Hendricks)
Melissa
Stylianou, voice
Bruce
Barth, piano
Linda Oh, double-bass
Matt Wilson, drums
Anat
Cohen, clarinet (6, 9)
Billy Drewes, alto saxophone (3, 8)
Produced
by Oded Lev-Ari
Recorded
by James Farber at Sear Sound, NYC
Mastered
by Mark Wilder at Battery Studios, NYC
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