Erin Bode - Over And Over

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:21
Size: 131.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:29] 1. Holiday
[4:20] 2. Over And Over
[9:08] 3. Graceland
[3:12] 4. Feet Off The Ground
[5:35] 5. Long, Long Time
[2:37] 6. Send Me Up A Sign
[4:01] 7. St. Louis Song
[4:30] 8. Perfect World
[3:52] 9. Something More
[4:02] 10. Holding Back The Years
[2:47] 11. With The Radio On
[6:26] 12. Flying Colors: Alone Together
[2:16] 13. Home Again

Although jazz-pop singer Erin Bode most often gets compared to Norah Jones, a closer point of comparison is the British indie duo Everything But the Girl. Although he doesn't get front-cover credit, Over and Over is effectively a duet album between Bode's warmly appealing, low-key vocals and her primary collaborator, Adam Maness, whose piano and acoustic guitar are at the heart of the arrangements and who co-wrote nearly all the songs. Maness is Ben Watt to Bode's Tracey Thorn, an empathetic collaborator rooted both in cool jazz and acoustic folk, and the pair create a hybrid of the two styles matched to a fondness for the reflective side of singer/songwriter pop that's best revealed on the album's two pop covers. Paul Simon's "Graceland" is transformed from the South African country ramble into something closer to Joni Mitchell's late-'70s fusion period, and Simply Red's near-forgotten ballad "Holding Back the Years" is overhauled from the unashamedly slick chart pop of the original into a stark duet performance of Maness' close-miked, echoing acoustic guitar and Bode's haunted, mournful vocals that changes the entire feel of the tune. Those tracks aside, however, it's the Bode/Maness originals that are the most intriguing part of this quiet but engrossing album, particularly "Send Me Up a Sign" (the most overtly Everything But the Girl-like song on the album) and the utterly charming, winsome lost-love tune "With the Radio On," which wouldn't sound out of place on a mid-'90s twee pop single by the likes of Softies or Lois until Seamus Blake's playful sax solo shows up. That cross-genre appeal is what makes Over and Over such a good record: Erin Bode isn't interested in staying in one particular stylistic box. ~Stewart Mason

Over And Over

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Erin Bode - Your Song Volume 1

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 51:25
Size: 48,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:49) 1. Because Of You
(2:49) 2. Happy Together
(3:50) 3. The Moon Is Ours Tonight
(3:45) 4. Be Here Now
(3:29) 5. Slide
(3:38) 6. Save The Best For Last
(4:07) 7. I Knew
(2:32) 8. You Can Close Your Eyes
(4:36) 9. The Grey Lady
(2:48) 10. My Heart Is All I Have
(2:50) 11. In My Life
(4:51) 12. One Stone
(2:42) 13. Lullaby
(4:33) 14. You Just Can't Smile It Away

Erin Bode hails from the Twin Cities, where her parents emphasized music in daily life and encouraged her to join the church choir. Her music studies continued at the University Of Minnesota and at Webster University in St. Louis. Describing herself as a positive person, Erin collects happy moments and seeks to take all things in a positive direction. Bode has released eight albums, gently walking the line between traditional Jazz and more pop based compositions.

Erin Bode has brought an entirely new concept to the world of music: when a fan approached her and asked to her to record a song for his wife on their anniversary, a world of positive possibility opened up. Erin continued to connect with fans and not just record, but also compose specific songs. In a world of massive stages and distanced celebrity, Erin Bode has developed a new space, a form of intimacy between artist and listener that truly reflect and bolster the human spirit. The music is no longer pointed AT the listener, it is OF the listener. In this way it is folk music, but in an entirely new form that establishes and fosters a unique personal experience and bond.

The aptly titled album YourSong , due out on October 15, 2021, is a curated set of songs from this ongoing project. Chosen for musical content and storyline, the songs range from those composed with Viktor Krauss to arrangements of some well known covers. Erin was connected to Viktor through an idol and friend of hers, Suzanne Cox (The Cox Family). The two immediately bonded over Erin’s concept and the opportunity to record, arrange, and write together. YourSong is an experience, offering more than just a casual listen. Bode’s voice is crisp and clear, like flowing water, and the immediate response is an uplifting feeling, a sense of joy. With each track one envisions the other person in the room, the human that requested the creation of the song. In this way Erin’s unique project continues to foster connection, which is what music is truly about. https://erinbode.bandcamp.com/album/yoursong-volume-1

YourSong Volume 1

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Erin Bode - Don't Take Your Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:32
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:46) 1. Don't Take Your Time
(4:14) 2. Here, There and Everywhere
(5:02) 3. In The Pines
(4:51) 4. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
(4:55) 5. Time After Time
(4:01) 6. But Not For Me
(3:16) 7. Junior and Julie
(4:18) 8. If It's Magic
(3:50) 9. I've Never Been In Love Before
(4:15) 10. You
(4:18) 11. I Walk A Little Faster
(3:43) 12. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You
(4:57) 13. Count Your Blessings

Erin Bode's frail, delicate vocal delivery gives her a quality that just wants to grow on you. She's got a friendly manner, and her song selection comes from what we've grown accustomed to over the years. Cyndi Lauper, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and older heroes of the Great American Songbook provide examples of her eclectic taste. It's popular stuff that we welcome all the time. However, Bode's limited vocal range and shallow breath support, while emphasizing her fragile demeanor, serve to restrain the emotional content of her performance.

The lightweight appearance of her vocal delivery give Bode a warm quality that works well on ballads such as "Time After Time" or "You," where folk singing and pop music combine to create lovely melodies and smooth harmony that lingers and remains pleasant to the ear long after the song is over. They're memorable. A piece that contains dramatic aspects, however, such as Bill Monroe's "In the Pines," requires natural force. Heartfelt passion is sorely missed during much of this program.

"Junior and Julie," a quaint jazz selection by Matt Dennis, provides opportunities for a singer to croon and swoon. It's one of those nightclub ballads that should be worn on one's sleeve late at night or in the wee hours. Here, the interpretation fails because a harder-hitting emphasis is needed. The same expectation comes from "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You," where a little hip swinging and head swaggering is called for. Instead, the performance turns this one around, with a coy smile and a shy grin.

Better are songs such as Cy Coleman's "I Walk a Little Faster," where the mood swings gaily from side to side, with whispers becoming appropriate for the lyrical message under consideration. "Count Your Blessings" also wears very well, with creative accompaniment from Bruce Barth, Larry Grenadier and Steve Nelson. Under Bode's control, the Irving Berlin chestnut lies still and personal like evening prayers, and settles in for a restful evening. Bode represents a new face on the scene. Her appeal lies in the way she relates to her audience as the quiet girl next door.~Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dont-take-your-time-erin-bode-maxjazz-review-by-jim-santella

Personnel: Erin Bode- vocals; Adam Maness- piano; Bruce Barth- piano, electric piano; Larry Grenadier- bass; Montez Coleman- drums; Adam Rogers- acoustic guitar; Steve Nelson- vibraphone; Meg Okura- violin; Sydney Rodway- tenor saxophone on "Don't Take Your Time"; Jerry Barnes- background vocals on "Time After Time."

Don't Take Your Time

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Erin Bode - Photograph

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:01
Size: 111,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. The Mountain
(3:11)  2. Heart of Mine
(4:31)  3. To Lose
(4:47)  4. Stephanie Moore
(4:08)  5. November
(4:20)  6. The Letter
(4:29)  7. Joseph
(5:27)  8. Photograph
(4:08)  9. Beating on the Door
(4:03) 10. Telescope
(3:45) 11. Wise Man

Vocalist Erin Bode's debut, Don't Take Your Time (MAXJAZZ, 2001), showcased her abilities to coat jazz singing with a user-friendly, pop-oriented patina, but subsequent albums have taken her farther afield from the world of straightforward jazz vocals. Bode showed early promise as a singer/songwriter, with the title track on her debut release, and she's made good on that promise on Over And Over (MAXJAZZ, 2006) and The Little Garden (Native Language, 2008). Both of those albums put strong emphasis on Bode-as-writer, with the latter leaning toward a folk-based sound sporting modern production values, and she continues that trend with Photograph. Her original compositions resemble prior works in some ways, but Bode uses far different instrumental textures to deliver some of this material. Occasional songs, like "Joseph" and the album-closing "Wise Man," sound like they could be carryovers from The Little Garden sessions, but those tracks are the exception, not the rule. The biggest game-changer, in terms of sound, comes in the form of the DX7. Yamaha unveiled this synthesizer in the early '80s, and the sound of this machine came to epitomize the direction of many a pop artist during that era. Multi-instrumentalist Adam Maness Bode's prime collaborator and co-writer on all eleven tracks adds this instrument to his arsenal on three tunes, lending them a retro-'80s pop sheen. Bode fans who have enjoyed soaking in the earthy elements of her prior albums might not take to the slightly sugary "Heart Of Mine" or "Stephanie Moore," but the DX7 doesn't dominate the entire album, and it provides some complementary additions to "Beating On The Door." At other times, Bode strikes a balance between Nanci Griffith and Lisa Loeb ("Wise Man"), and shows Paul Simon-esque compositional savvy on "The Letter," where Adam Maness acts as a sound architect, his marimba and guitar work at the core of the group sound. Bode's voice is an emotionally resonant instrument of beauty on "November," and Maness is a masterful accompanist, cushioning Bode's voice with guitar and a bed of subtle synthesizer sounds. While this album is the least jazz-oriented production of Bode's career, her celestial vocals remain a draw in any genre and she hits quite a few along the way on Photograph. ~ Dan Bilaswsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/photograph-erin-bode-self-produced-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Erin Bode: vocals, whistle; Adam Maness: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, marimba, glockenspiel, DX7, synthesizers, accordion, road case, 750 piece 'Christmas Magic' puzzle, electric piano, phone; Syd Rodway: acoustic bass, banjo, electric bass, whistle, acoustic guitar, background vocals; Mark Colenburg: drums and percussion (1, 11); Jimmy Griffin: electric guitar (2, 4); Derek Phillips: drums and percussion (2-4, 6-9, 10); Seamus Blake: saxophone (4); Chris Hobson: hand claps (9), background vocals (6-7, 11).

Photograph

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Peter Martin - In The P.M.

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz

Year: 2013

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 60:23

Size: 138,5 MB

Art: Front

(7:11)  1. Never Let Me Go

(7:31)  2. If It's Magic

(4:53)  3. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To

(3:56)  4. Come Rain Or Come Shine

(5:27)  5. Modern Cacophony

(5:32)  6. Only in a Dream

(5:28)  7. The Answer

(6:10)  8. Lament

(5:11)  9. 'Ting for Ray

(5:59) 10. The Nearness Of You

(3:01) 11. It Could Happen To You

Known to most as Dianne Reeves' musical director, pianist Peter Martin takes her stellar touring trio on a musical journey through jazz's heartland on In the P.M.; guest vocalist Erin Bode adds a warm and welcome lyricism to the session. Familiar standards and fresh originals turn the trio loose with unbridled energy. As Martin interprets "Come Rain or Come Shine" a cappella, he turns it up a notch. His keyboard technique takes him all over the place. Elsewhere, with bass and drums in a cohesive respite, the pianist lights sparks that ignite the music indelibly. Gregory Hutchinson and Reuben Rogers turn in a stellar performance, both individually and as Martin's musical partners. Leisurely ballads and hard-driving romps allow the trio to express a wide range of emotions. Martin sweeps his melodies in an uplifting fashion, exploring dramatic romps with intuitive play. He and Rogers communicate well, adding octave unisons to the formula on occasion. Their tender-hearted interpretations result in a genuine landscape that's filled with floating melodies and uplifting harmonies. Rhythmically, the trio meets each occasion head-on with soul-stirring confidence.

Rogers' "'Ting for Ray" saunters casually with a Ray Brown walk and blues-hued strides. Featuring Rogers' bass, the trio takes this one to the height of expressive blues. His bass converses with the heartfelt charm of a blues pioneer. Martin works hard to keep the jazz tradition alive. While appearing around the country with Dianne Reeves, he drives forcefully from the piano bench with a natural sense of musical organization. In a 2002 AAJ interview, he credited Wynton Marsalis for the leadership that has affected him and others around the world amicably. At age 13, Martin's father arranged a meeting between two that has since borne fruit. Thanks to the role model that Marsalis has provided, artists such as Peter Martin stand out as well for their true dedication to the field of mainstream jazz. ~ Jim Santella  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-the-pm-peter-martin-maxjazz-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Peter Martin- piano, Fender Rhodes; Reuben Rogers- bass; Greg Hutchinson- drums; Erin Bode- vocals on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "The Nearness of You" and "It Could Happen to You."

In The P.M.

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Erin Bode - The Little Garden

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:00
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. New England Friends
(3:35)  2. Chasing After You
(5:23)  3. Sweater Song
(5:58)  4. The Little Garden
(4:29)  5. Born At the Right Time
(4:04)  6. It's All Your Fault
(4:19)  7. Sydney Come Down
(3:46)  8. Two
(4:00)  9. The Cold Water
(5:08) 10. Out of Time
(3:24) 11. Fences
(3:02) 12. Goodnight

Like Norah Jones, Erin Bode is a sweet-voiced singer with a jazz background and a healthy disregard for musical boundaries. Also like Jones, she gravitates towards quiet, gentle, straightforwardly melodic fare. On The Little Garden she continues her songwriting collaboration with bandmember and multi-instrumentalist Adam Maness, and the result is a bit more mixed than their previous work has been. It may be the deepening of their skill and their musical relationship, but their songs are getting more and more subtle as time goes on sometimes a bit too subtle. "New England Friends" is a charming and deeply felt song, but as it progresses you start to get the feeling that it's more about the words than the music (a tendency that we critics refer to as the Elvis Costello Disease); "Two" also feels a bit flat and uneventful, melodically speaking, and "Out of Time" spends way too much time on a two-chord vamp. But the rest of the album moves from strength to strength: "Sweater Song" is sad and heartrendingly lovely; "Sydney Come Down" rocks out gorgeously; "It's All Your Fault" is both witty and soulful, with a brilliant horn chart. And Bode's jazzy take on the Paul Simon song "Born at the Right Time" is a gem. Throughout the album, her voice is a complete joy, and redeems even the songs that are least interesting otherwise. ~ Rick Anderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-little-garden-mw0000792094

The Little Garden

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