The latest releases reviewed.
Bey loathes the music business and seldom records, so this excellent, previously unreleased live-at- Birdland 1997 album is a rarity. With a delivery that recalls the late Bobby Short's upper register vibrato and Johnny Hartman's rich and full lower tones, Bey is an idiosyncratic singer, but an exceptional one. He can hold the narrative tension of a performance persuasively at very slow tempos on such as I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart, On Second Thoughtand Hey, Love, and can turn the title track and Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?(taken surprisingly uptempo) into preaching, declamatory experiences. With the reliable Washingtons, Peter and Kenny, on bass and drums respectively, Bey also plays assured, fluent and equally individual piano, particularly on a magisterial solo vocal/piano interpretation of Someone to Watch Over Me.
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Eick's choice of pianist Jon Balke for his leader debut was apt; Balke and the brilliant young Norwegian trumpeter (who wrote all the music for this album) use space sensitively, while both, and Balke in particular, deftly steer the group dynamic. Melodic, lyrical players both, they have created not only a quartet album of understated beauty, but also one where the solos and joint improvisations develop organically. It's deceptively simple music; moody and evocative on December, Porvooand the magnificent funeral march of Cologne Blues, and capable of building unshowy grooves on The Door, Williamsburg(with some of the loveliest soloing and group interaction) and the loose, spacious rocker, Stavanger. Eick adds to the background colours available with Stian Carstensen's restrained pedal steel guitar, and his own guitar and vibes. www.musicconnection.org.uk
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This is much praised abroad as Wilson's best, most jazzy album in years. I wonder. It does have one of her most grooving rhythm sections; Jason Moran (piano), Martin Sewell (guitars), Lonnie Plaxico (bass), Herlin Riley (drums) and Lekan Babalola (percussion) are simply superb, and Wilson's pleasure in their laid-back, propulsive drive is evident. There's an irresistible momentum to Caravan, Arere, St James Infirmaryand (albeit with an old-time swing) an uptempo Lover Come Back to Me. It's there, too, at slower tempos, particularly on 'Til There Was Youand the venerable Dust My Broom. But as well as Wilson sings this mainly standards programme, there's a considered feel that surfaces a bit too often, notably on Black Orpheus, Wouldn't It Be Loverlyand some others. One for fans.
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