Amy Cervini: Digging Me, Digging You

Amy Cervini (vocals)

Digging Me, Digging You (Anzic Records; 2012)

The first great record of 2012! As you may have noticed I don't write that much about vocalists. I really haven't been able to find great current vocalists (or even good) that compare to Stacey Kent and Claire Martin and Karrin Alysson. So this month my hyperbolic pretentiousness was slapped upside the head when I put Amy Cervini's latest, Digging Me, Digging You in the CD player.

I've really only heard Amy Cervini's music a couple of times but didn't pay close enough attention until now. And I have to say I've been missing out on an extremely inventive and dynamic performer. Her voice is soft but packs the punch. Her choice in repertoire is what really threw me for a loop. And will probably do the same for you. We're not talkin' bout the Great American or sultry Latin Songbooks anymore. This is an artist who is out to change the way we think about what can be done with song. She has covered Depeche Mode and The Cardigans of late. Both with startling success as far how the material turned out. But on her Digging Me, Digging You, Cervini dives into one of the more under appreciated jazz vocalists, the late Blossom Dearie.

Blossom Dearie was the hipsters choice and while she is worshiped within jazz circles I just don't think she gets enough credit outside like many of the other female legends do. Hopefully Cervini will change that. "Everything I Got Belongs To You" sets the stage for this session. It's got a jump swing feel but is masterfully soulful under Cervini's direction. It's an easy relaxing opening that pulls you in with some great wind-work by Anat and Avishai Cohen and then upbeat guitar from Jesse Lewis. The emotional and crisp touch of Cervini's vocals on Blossom Dearie, Herb Alpert penned, "I Like You, You're Nice" feels more full-bodied than the original but you can sense the comparisons and why this album can be become an important step in Cervini's wider recognition.

"My Attorney Bernie" is a full-throttle swing, drivin' by Bruce Barth (piano) and Matt Wilson (drums). Cervini's really belts it out which is a little different than the original which keeps things a little light but the two definite stand on there own. Many will be familiar with the playfulness of the "Doodlin' Song" and this might be were both Dearie and Cervini do become one. The punch I talked about earlier is on display here. This is one of those great jazz club songs that becomes infectious by the second verse. "Figure Eight" is where Cervini displays a panache for creativity. This piece is slowed down even more than the slower original. It allows the orchestra and vocalist to both find their space and both deliver with elegance and beauty.

Digging Me, Digging You is a brilliant work of vocal beauty and composition choices. I am very happy to have stumbled onto a new and exciting vocalist such as Amy Cervini. I think you will be too. Digging Me, Digging You will be on my list of top albums in twelve months. Guaranteed. Highly Recommended.

Erland Dahlen: Rolling Bomber

Erland Dahlen (drums; electronics)

Rolling Bomber (Hubro Music; 2012)

It's a little hard to believe that Rolling Bomber is Erland Dahlen's first solo album. You can hear his work across a number of releases; most notably the recent Nils Petter Molvaer album and in Eivind Aarset Sonic Codex Orchestra. Dahlen has a rich and vivid quality to his playing and his compositions on his Rolling Bomber are just as diverse and spirited.  

"Flower Power" comes on like a scene out of Forbidden Planet. Dahlen's drum work and electronics feels someone using a theremin to buzz through your skull. It's groovy and freighting all at once. Dahlen's creative use of electronic and percussion instruments play a significant roll in the sound and structure of the album. The sounds are almost other-worldly in parts. And in others almost tribal. But let's not describe this album as a collection of avant garde noise experiments; Rolling Bomber has a lot of structure to each of its pieces. "Piratman" is an example of the combination of ethnic rhythms and spaced out thoughts. At times it was reminiscent of the solo work from Stewart Copland or even the multi-cultural work of Jon Hassell.

"Pyramid" has the experimental effects you would expect from a bustling record like this. There are ambient effects that are enhanced by Dahlen's dense rolling drum tones. It's a heavy piece filled with crunching, crackles and brushes that are beautiful and entrancing. "Germany" has an interesting opening that after my third glass of (well, that's a different story...) felt like I was listening to a track from the Cure's Pornography album (that's not a bad thing, people). This is probably the most upbeat tempo track on the album yet the perfect way to close these high-tech experiments in sound.

I've been addicted to this album for a couple of weeks now and combining a listen of Nils Petter Molvaer's Baboon Moon and Rolling Bomber, you have a deep lesson in one of the more undiscovered drummer/composer of the next generation. 

Benoit Delbecq & Francois Houle: Because She Hoped

Benoit Delbecq (piano)

Francois Houle (clarinet)

Because She Hoped (Songlines; 2011)

Because She Hoped is beautifully crafted, well delivering notes and patterns that are not just ethereal but are also astounding. This is the third collaboration between the Canadian/French duo, Delbecq and Houle. For me, this is the improvised equivalent of Pierre Fournier and Friedrich Gulda. While that classical duo performed miracles with the work of Beethoven, Delbecq and Houle manage this in the tradition of classic chamber music, but also with the swirling inspiration of minimalism and improvising composers of both jazz and classical.

On Because She Hoped, the material stands out with a unique and distinct set of principles that revolve around where will the music take you. "The Mystery Song" originally written by Duke Ellington is completely transformed into a minimalist masterpiece. The jovial aspects of the original are stripped to create a more intimate and slow journey that takes you down a path filled with unknown openings and closing. Delbecq's emotions never rise, even during the more uptempo parts midway through. Houle's chords tie things together softly making it feel less haunted than the title might suggest.

"Because She Hoped" is melodic and driven more by Houle's bold yet fluid lines. It's a clouded piece with jagged little structures slowly preening their way out. Houle has written a piece that provides a slow burn but a beautiful one resonates loudly. The duo also cover Steve Lacy's (a big influence on the musicians) "Cliches" which sounds very similar to the original but with little more playfulness. With "Ando," Delbecq and Houle close out the album on a more avant garde note. It's filled with abbreviated patterns and what must be some work on prepared piano by Delbecq. It's complex and expressive and closes out the Because She Hoped on a jubilant note. 

Benoit Delbecq and Francois Houle may be an unknown name to some readers but you really should check this duo out. Because She Hoped is an enchanting, original and vibrant work that demands your attention. 

The Thing: Mono

The Thing (group)

Mono (SmallTown Jazz; 2011)

Mats Gustafsson (sax)

Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten (bass)

Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)

Gustafsson, Haker-Flaten and Nilssen-Love return in the best way possible--in mono. Mono is the trio's 9th (or 12th if you consider their three disc boxed set, Now And Forever)  album, and it delivers with interesting and exciting results. Mono is raw as ever and captures the grit of their musicianship more so than recent recordings. If that was possible. 

The funky thumping of Haker-Flaten and Gustafsson's cattle call on the opener, "Viking" signifies a pulsating and exciting experience in store for you the listener at home. It's a blistering piece that only settles at the very end. "Bruremarsj" is calm and reflective. A ballad if I could use the term loosely. Soft movements and some breathy intonations from Gustafsson, circular rotations from Nilssen-Love and almost lower registered touches on the strings from Haker-Flaten make this a deeply personal and resonate experience. 

"Silver Slipper" while the shortest piece on the album provides all the aggression The Thing have come to represent--white noise, bliss and adventure. "There is Shitloads of Red Meat Missing" see the group experimenting with sound and texture. Gustafsson horn ripples along like slow water torture. Flaten and Love provide a haunting backdrop of vibrations that help close out the session. 

There's definitely shades of Ornette in the The Thing DNA but they continue to make themselves stand as one of the best European trio on the scene today. Mono is just another supreme work in a cannon that doesn't seem to stop astounding. Excellent stuff.