Thursday, August 10, 2017

NEW RELEASES: JOSI DAVIS - CALLING; BEHN GILLECE – WALK OF FIRE; GORO ITO ENSEMBLE – ARCHITECT JOBIM

JOSI DAVIS - CALLING 

Josi Davis is an inventive musician whose approach to songwriting defies expectations. Josi composes each new expression of lyric and sound by crafting a memorable narrative and shaping its setting in a musical style that best supports the story.  “We embrace each composition as it comes to us, understanding and honoring that we will create a special world for that song. When “Calling” took form, we thought to craft it in the beautiful, soulful pop style of 1970’s Northern Soul. That was our intuition and I’m glad we did because, man, this grooves! This is a roll-the-top-down-and-cruise kind of record!”  “Calling” is the second single to come from Davis’ collaboration with legendary producer, Louis Anthony deLise. deLise’s credits include a Billboard Number One with Patti LaBelle, and hits with William DeVaughn and cult dance club favorite, John Gibbs. Josi’s rich dramatic alto voice serves her well as she delivers each original musical micro-drama with a respect and espressivo that is uncommon in today’s landscape of musical predictability.  “Josi Davis' voice can exhibit Joni Mitchell’s smoky fragility, Phoebe Snow’s full bodied barroom belt, and Ann Wilson’s rock-and-roll wail. Occasionally, they come out all at once...” – Mary Jane Fine, Grace Magazine /  “…a powerful and distinctive vocalist and a songwriter whose appreciation for all manners of musical styles is evident in her work. Some call Davis a practitioner of “nouveau cabaret,” and that certainly provides a sonic indicator.” – Rick Koster, The Day

BEHN GILLECE – WALK OF FIRE

A date that's not only a great showcase for the mighty vibes talents of Behn Gillece, but which also has the musician working alongside some of his best labelmats as well! We love Gillece in any setting – as his work on vibes is some of the freshest of the past decade or so, and Behn's one of the few artists to really bring a strong new voice to the instrument! And he's also a vibist who seems to take off even more in the company of a horn player – unlike some vibes musicians, who really only ever record with a piano – which means that here, he's getting some great strengths from the talents of Michael Dease on trombone, Walt Weiskopf on tenor, and Bruce Harris on trumpet – in a group that also includes Adam Birnbaum on piano, Clovis Nicolas on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums. All tracks are originals – Behn's a hell of a writer, too – and titles include "Fantasia Brasileira", "Walk Of Fire", "Bag's Mood", "Break Tune", "Celestial Tidings", and "Reflective Current".  ~ Dusty Groove

GORO ITO ENSEMBLE – ARCHITECT JOBIM

A fantastic reworking of the aesthetic and compositions of Antonio Carlos Jobim – served up here in a style that mixes guitar and piano with a bit of light strings – with a haunting sense of sparness that really brings new meaning to the songs! The style almost seems to link the spirit of Jobim with the sound of Eric Satie – as the tunes have a very careful, open vibe – with the guitar of Goro Ito echoing some slight earlier elements, next to the piano of Eiichi Sawada, bass of Keisuke Torigoe, and work by a string quartet! The approach is completely enchanting – really wonderful, and a completely fresh way of presenting the genius of Jobim – on titles that include "Chanson Pour Michelle", "Jardim Abandonado", "Chovendo Na Roseira", "Two Kites", "Estrada Do Sol", "Luiza", and "Arqueetura De Morar".  ~ Dusty Groove


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