Showing posts with label Tracye Eileen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tracye Eileen. Show all posts

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Tracye Eileen - You Hit the Spot

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:12
Size: 67,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. I Love Being Here With You
(3:01) 2. You Hit The Spot
(3:11) 3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:40) 4. It's Almost Like Being In Love
(5:31) 5. The Very Thought Of You
(3:52) 6. Just In Time
(2:49) 7. This Can't Be Love
(4:45) 8. The End Of A Love Affair

You Hit the Spot is either the third or fourth album by sultry-voiced, Chicago-based vocalist Tracye Eileen. It was recorded in two sessions: one with a trio (and audience), the other with a sextet. She gets a good head start thanks to a splendid choice of material eight blue-chip tunes, all from the Great American Songbook.

Eileen fares reasonably well with each of them, spreading a bluesy blanket over what are essentially straight-ahead renditions. She has excellent range, and is suitably emotive when required. The diction is fine save on the fast-paced opener, "I Love Being Here with You," wherein a number of words and phrases are less than clear. Elsewhere, no problems. Eileen does make at least one lyric misstep, on Lerner and Loewe's "Almost Like Being in Love," when she sings (twice), "all the music of love seems to be" instead of "all the music of life seems to be," as written, but that's a minor quibble.

"You Hit the Spot" follows "Being Here" and precedes half a dozen winners including "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Almost Like Being in Love," "The Very Thought of You," "Just in Time" (including a rarely heard verse), "This Can't Be Love" and "The End of a Love Affair" (the only theme aside from the first two sung without an audience). Eileen numbers Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington among her role models, but has a style of her own that doesn't mirror any of them.

Eileen's back-up groups are impressive, giving her solid support on every number. While solos are few, there are brief yet effective statements by trumpeter Victor Garcia ("You Hit the Spot"), bassist Paul Martin ("This Can't Be Love"), tenor Steve Eisen ("The End of a Love Affair") and pianists Jeremy Kahn and Dennis Luxion. Even though the music is respectable from start to finish, it must be noted that the album's playing time is a concise thirty minutes. If that doesn't bother you and you appreciate well-written and well-performed songs Eileen and her first-rate groups may "hit the spot."By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-hit-the-spot-tracye-eileen-self-produced

Personnel: Tracye Eileen: voice / vocals; Jeremy Kahn : piano; Jon Deitemyer: drums; Stewart Miller: bass; Steve Eisen: flute; Raphael Crawford: trombone; Victor Garcia: trumpet; Dennis Luxion: keyboards; Paul Martin: saxophone, baritone.

You Hit the Spot

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Tracye Eileen - It's Time.

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:15
Size: 60,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Somehow Someway
(3:51) 2. Now That We're Here
(4:52) 3. Sweeter With Time
(4:17) 4. Why Did I Say Yes?
(8:52) 5. Why Did I Say Yes? (House Remix)

Chicago born R&B/jazz singer Tracey Eileen is since eleven years in the music business and developed from a local player to an internationally known soul/R&B artist. Starting with her debut album Love's Journey in 2012 she arrived to her second album Why Did I Say Yes (2018). Her third project is the EP It's Time, which appears delayed by the pandemic in June 12, 2020.

Opener of the album is the single Somehow Someway, which like most of her songs deals with interpersonal relationships and also contains biographical elements. The song was produced by Kendall Duffie (Cloud 9), who also performs synthesizer, drum programming and synth bass on it.

Now That We’re Here is also a commitment to togetherness. Donald Hayes underlines the tenderness in Tracey's voice on saxophone. Sweeter With Time is a love ballade which focuses on the growth of love in a community. The special feature of Tracey's performance is not only her voice but also the ingenious use of her vocals in the arrangement, for which she constantly finds new approaches.

The EP also contains two interpretations of Why Did I Say Yes, a song which was already released on her second same-titled album. With this song she puts her love relationship to the test and questions its intending. Tired of the ups and downs she comes to the conclusion that what she called love never was. At the end she frees herself from the meaningfulness of her lyrics to almost symbolically enter into free jazz swing.

Traceye Eileen addresses with her album all those who like to combine reasonable lyrics with instrumental brilliance. With her sensual voice she is the perfect deliverer of her message.
http://www.smooth-jazz.de/InFokus/Eileen/ItsTime.htm

It's Time.