Sconsolato… is the best vocal album I have heard this year.
Nick Lea – Jazz Views
You can read Nick Lea’s full review in Jazz Views
Juliet’s debut album, Sconsolato, was released in May 2020.
This collaboration with three masters of Latin-flavoured Jazz – John Crawford (piano), Andrés Lafone (bass) and Andrés Ticino (drums & percussion) – overlays the flowing vocal lines with complex rhythms and an intriguing vibe. Half of the songs originally started as instrumental charts for large ensembles and big bands, perhaps explaining the unusually complex harmonies.
The title track, Sconsolato, is a heart-rending song of love and loss written by bassist Jimmy Woode and recorded in 1968 by Mark Murphy.
Juliet’s carefully curated repertoire continues with musical gems such as Chelsea Bridge (Billy Strayhorn), Journey Within (Kenny Barron/Clare Foster), Midnight Sun (Lionel Hampton/Johnny Mercer), In These Shoes (Kirsty McColl et al.), Slow Hot Wind (Henry Mancini/Norman Gimbel) and two lesser known but beautiful Hoagy Carmichael tunes Lying to Myself and I Walk with Music. Also given a refreshing revival are Duncan Lamont’s bluesy Billie Holiday and the wistful Manhattan in the Rain. An up-tempo, percussive Fascinating Rhythm (Gershwin) completes this delightful collection.
Strayhorn’s Chelsea Bridge is a wordless virtuoso performance…
Lance Liddle – bebop spoken here
You can read Lance Liddle’s full review in bebop spoken here
Many thanks to the terrific Disc Wizards for manufacturing the beautiful CD digipak
