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The Jazz Review of "brenda carol" by Lee Prosser
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The Jazz Review ? April 14, 1999
Review of "brenda carol" by Lee Prosser
Featured Artist: Brenda Carol
CD Title: Brenda Carol
Year: 1998
Record Label: Darwyn Records
Artist's Website: www.brendacarol.com
Review: A lovely Canadian vocalist with an enchantment and singing magic all her own has appeared on the scene, and her name is Brenda Carol. This cd is full of standards that will delight any jazz listener! Brenda Carol has excellent backup musicians, and everything comes together in an even flow of musical expertise and harmonic expression. At last, a new George Gershwin interpreter who understands the essence of Gershwin music and can share it fully and soulfully with her listening audience. It is good to have somebody who understands the old standards and can express them so beautifully as Brenda Carol. An excellent cd.
www.jazzreview.com/jaags.html
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The Jazz Review of "brenda carol" by Richard Bourcier
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The Jazz Review ? March 25, 1999
Review of "Brenda Carol" by Richard Bourcier
Featured Artist: Brenda Carol
CD Title: Brenda Carol
Year: 1998
Record Label: Darwyn Records
Artist's Website: www.brendacarol.com
Favorite Song: "The Man I Love"
Review: Another fine recording emerges from the Studio at Puck's Farm in Schomberg, Ontario. Brenda Carol, a native of Sudbury, makes her CD debut with a fine group of musicians including collectively Stephen Gardner, piano; Lorne Lofsky, guitar; Ted Quinlan, guitar; Igor Romanyk, violin; Steve Wallace, bass; Stephen Crowe, trumpet; Daniel Barnes, drums and Art Avalos, percussion. Brenda is accompanied by both a quintet and sextet. This bright new singer is a welcome addition to the Canadian jazz scene and carries on the tradition of such luminaries as Chris Connor and June Christy. The young lady is a pure jazz singer in every sense of the word. Drawing from the pop charts of the 30s and 40s, Brenda seems very much at home with Old Devil Moon, Lush Life, Summertime, The Man I Love and God Bless the Child. She swings nicely on Bye Bye Blackbird and Everything I've Got Belongs to You.
Igor Romanyk's solo efforts on The Man I love and God Bless the Child are outstanding. As always, bassist Steve Wallace is a wonderful asset to any group. All in all, a nice debut for Brenda and the group.
http://www.jazzreview.com/jaags.html
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Cadence Magazine Review of "brenda carol" by David Lewis
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David Lewis - January 1999 - Cadence Magazine - page 39 - Vol. 25 No. 1 January 1999
"LIZ GORRILL
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH,
2 NEW ARTISTS 1030...
Invocation: How Deep Is The Ocean/Part 1- Love's Fire: Secrets Start Singing / Shaken Out In Thunder / Stella By Starlight/ The Story Of Pure Mirrors / Vision To Flame / Gardens Dying,Blossoming / Spring's Firebirds /Magician of Being / Our Mystery Will Grow Green/ Part II - Alone With the One: The Stormy Wind / Within the Mysterious Darkness/ Shine The Warriors Heart / When Time Is Vanishing/ From Abyss to Abyss/ Nuances of the Rainbow / Blue Is My Inside Sky/ Two Hands Made of Sun/ The Eternal Now of Music 64:59
Gorrill, p, vcl. NY, 5-6/97 & 1/98.
2) BRENDA CAROL,
BRENDA CAROL,
2 DARWYN RECORDS 8-7208
Everything I've Got*/ God Bless The Child / You Must Believe In Spring / I'm Hip* / Summertime / Old Devil Moon / Nefertiti */ Bye Bye Blackbird / Lush Life / The Man I Love. 53:18
Carol, vcl; Stephen Gardner,p; Ted Quinlan, g; Igor Romanyk, vln; Steve Wallace, b; Daniel Barnes, d; No location, 3/17*98,except*: Carol, vcl; Gardner, p; Lorne Lofsky, g; Stephen Crowe, tpt; Wallace, b; Barnes, d; Art Avalos, perc. No location, 3/18/98. [location was: The Studio at Puck's Farm, Schomberg, Ontario]
3) BRAD MEHLDAU,
SONGS: THE ART OF THE TRIO, VOL. 3,
2 WARNER BROS. 47051
Song Song / Unrequited / Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered / Exit Music (For A Film) / At A Loss / Convalescent / For All We Know / River Man / Young At Heart / Sehnsucht. 59:25
Mehldau, p; Jorge Rossy, d; Larry Grenadier, b. NYC, NY, 5/27 - 28/98
After a stark, brooding deconstruction of Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is The Ocean", Liz Gorrill goes on to create a startling solo piano record that explores territory hovering somewhere between Paul Bley and Ran Blake. Certainly there's a classical touch and strong feel of formal rigor about her playing that ranges from the Satie-like repetitions of "Secrets Start Singing" to the fugue-like romp of "Two Hands Made of Sun", a startling performance that made me smile as it conjured up a further point of reference: Lennie Tristano. From impressionist miniatures like "Shaken Out In Thunder" and "The Stormy Wind" to Gorrill explores an adventurous program in (1) that is simply exquisite.
In contrast, Brenda Carol engages material that looks all too familiar. To her credit (2) pulls it off. Carol's rather plain expression becomes a prime strength as it serves to reveal not the singer but the songs. Maybe that's why songs so closely associated with Billie Holiday, like "God Bless The Child" and Gershwin's "Summertime" and "The Man I Love" are among Carol's best. Her music is also well served by the maturity of the settings. Solo highlights include Igor Romanyk's violin in "God Bless The Child" and "The Man I Love", Wallace's bass in "You Must Believe In Spring", Gardner's piano and Crowe's trumpet in an atmospheric interpretation of Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti." Yet it is the solid group interplay in performances like "Summertime," "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Lush Life" that indicate why (2) is such an unexpected surprise.
(3) also sustains a high standard. The sparse, melodic minimalism of Mehldau's opening "Song Song" reminded me of Carla Bley while the compelling trio interplay in "Unrequited," "At A Loss," "Convalescent," "River Man" and "Young At Heart" showcase this group's excellent rapport. Grenadier explores impressive solo space in "Unrequited," "At A Loss" and "Sehnsucht" while Rossy's mallet work in "River Man" and "Young At Heart" shows the lyrical passion that he contributes to this music. Among the highlights of an impressive set is a splendid version of Radiohead's "Exit Music" from O.K. Computer. All three of these CDs are well worth acquiring."
David Lewis
January 1999 Cadence Magazine - page 39 Vol. 25 No. 1
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