Zoe Schwarz & Rob Koral - Celebration

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:23
Size: 129,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:32)  1. Cry Me A River
(2:21)  2. Don't Explain
(1:49)  3. Let's Fall In Love
(3:18)  4. My Funny Valentine
(3:24)  5. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
(4:15)  6. Let's Explain
(1:59)  7. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby
(3:46)  8. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
(5:12)  9. The Man I Love
(2:58) 10. You Don't Learn That In School
(5:17) 11. Until The Red Thing Comes Along
(3:14) 12. Careless Love
(3:55) 13. Baby Baby All The Time
(2:20) 14. That Old Feeling
(2:55) 15. Empty Rooms
(4:00) 16. Sitting On Top Of The World

Few performance formats can illuminate a talent and facility like the duet. Schwarz and Koral create a certain edgy intimacy on Celebration that is both very contemporary and quite traditional at the same time. Over the course of 16 jazz standards, blues and originals, the pair spin out a well-balanced musical vision, one that is well-conceived and performed. When all of these elements coalesce, exceptional music is made. Heavy on the jazz standards (a swinging "Sitting On Top Of The World" being the sole "blues") Celebration is a jazz vocal lesson.  Jazz needs its standards to remain grounded in where it came from, but also as a vehicle with original compositions to track where it is going. The opening standards "Cry Me A River" and Billie Holiday's sublime "Don't Explain" are preformed simply, even nakedly, exposed. Schwarz's voice balances between angry resignation and despair as is necessary for the lyrics. The inclusion of a Holiday tune is no mistake as Schwarz's delivery bears the influence of that great singer. 

But, Schwarz is no mere imitator of Holiday, only an attentive student with her eye (and ear) on something different, newer, and more revelatory.  Koral proves a grand accompanist for Schwarz. His guitar style is well informed and not plagued by the need to show off every technical arrow that obviously exists in his musical quiver. On "When I Grow To Old To Dream," Koral begins with a single-note choral that is melancholy and virtuosic without being showy. He puts that 1920s-30s vibe on the vocal section of the piece, a vibe he extends through the Louis Jordan classic "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby." The has a great walking-bass facility that makes his support that much more valuable convincing. He co-composes "Let's Explain" with Schwarz, a clever bookend to Holiday's "Don't Explain," that is about Holiday. Where this could often go very wrong, Schwarz and Koral make it all look easy on this breezy, listenable collection. ~ C.Michael Bailey    http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=41964#.Uwf5jIVZhls

Personnel: Zoe Schwarz – vocals;  Rob Koral - guitars

Celebration

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