Reminiscing in Tempo (Origin)
New York Voices
Released August 16, 2019
JAZZ FM 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2019
YouTube:
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Spotify:
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About:
After a decade of collaborative, and superlative, releases with large ensembles such as the WDR and Bob Mintzer Big Bands, the New York Voices return to their roots marking their 30th Anniversary with one of the most ambitious, accomplished undertakings in their esteemed catalog. Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan, Darmon Meader & Kim Nazarian worked with revered producer Elliot Scheiner, applying their stamp to standards by Cole Porter & Al Jolson, modern jazz gems from Chick Corea & Fred Hersch, a deeply personal swing-era classic from Duke Ellington, songs by the Beatles & Ivan Lins, and a pair from Cuban classical composer, Ignacio Cervantes. Opening is a tour-de-force rendition of Al Jarreau’s lyrical contribution to Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” which includes a new vocalese section based off Dave Brubeck’s and Paul Desmond’s original solos, with lyrics by Lauren Kinhan. Reminiscing in Tempo finds the quartet’s individual chops and their collective chemistry to be as powerful as ever, foretelling yet another creative and significant span for this landmark group.
Track Listing:
1. Round, Round, Round (Blue Rondo á la Turk) (Dave Brubeck / Al Jarreau / Lauren Kinhan) 7:10
2. Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly (Chick Corea / Neville Potter) 5:06
3. Answered Prayers (É De Deus) (Ivan Lins) 5:03
4. A Dance for Me (Fred Hersch / Cheryl Pyle) 3:55
5. Los Tres Golpes (Ignacio Cervantes) 2:05
6. Moments in a Mirror (Darmon Meader) 4:05
7. It’s Alright with Me (Cole Porter) 5:05
8. Reminiscing in Tempo (Duke Ellington / Mel Tormé) 4:58
9. The Forecast is Sunny Peter Eldridge / Lauren Kinhan 4:45
10. Invitación (Ignacio Cervantes) 4:05
11. Avalon (Al Jolson) 2:22
12. In My Life (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) 3:10
Personnel:
Peter Eldridge: vocals, piano (9)
Lauren Kinhan: vocals
Darmon Meader: vocals, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Kim Nazarian: vocals
Additional Musicians
Andy Ezrin: piano, Fender
Rhodes
Alon Yavnai: piano (10)
David Finck: bass (1, 4, 8, 9)
Paul Nowinski: bass (3, 7, 11)
Will Lee: bass (2)
Ben Wittman: drums (1, 2, 4, 8, 9), percussion (1, 9)
Marcello Pellitteri: drums (3, 7, 11)
Gabriel Hahn: vocals (6), body percussion (6)
Jay Ashby: percussion (3)
Marty Ashby: guitar (3, 11)
Jesse Lewis: guitar (2, 9)
Steve Kenyon: baritone saxophone
Frank Greene: trupet
Tatum Greenblatt: trumpet
Mike Davis: trombone
Randy Andos: trombone
Recorded October 17 and 21-22, 2017 and September 27-28, 2018, by Elliot Scheiner, at Avatar Studios, NYC (assistant engineer: Gloria Kaba); The Cabin, NYC (asst. eng.: Rich Hill); Flux Studios, NYC (asst. eng.: Josh Welshman, Joey Wunsch); Riverside Studios, Köln, Germany (by Ralf Kemper); Esplanade Studios, New Orleans (by Misha Kachkachishvili); Birs Recording, Orange, NJ (by Scott Anderson) Additional recording by Darmon Meader, Jay Ashby, Ben Wittman
Produced by Elliot Scheiner & Darmon Meader
Mixed by Elliot Scheiner
Mastered by Gavin Lurrsen
Edited by Darmon Meader
Project Coordinator: Dave Love
Photography by Sandrine Lee
Photography Assistant: Jennifer Armstrong
Art Direction & Design: John Bishop
Review:
Time flies, so
why shouldn’t New York Voices revel in that passage on life’s jet
stream? Reminiscing In Tempo marks the celebrated vocal quartet’s
30th anniversary in style, presenting a dozen performances delivered with
imaginative flair. The arrangements and vocals, not surprisingly, are airtight,
and the joy in the music is palpable.
Demonstrating mastery of an idiom too often ignored, the Voices put their
magnetic pipes and impossibly accurate harmonies on display in myriad settings,
moving artfully through Ivan Lins’ buoyant and vibrant frames, Cole
Porter’s swinging setups, and The Beatles’ timeless glances at life’s past. A
crack band is often right there with this foursome, enhancing explorations of
time remembered. But sometimes Peter Eldridge, Lauren
Kinhan , Darmon Meader, and Kim Nazarian are alone
together, sharing their deep experiences all by their collective lonesome. That
variety, par for the course with New York Voices, makes for an easy sale here.
Opening with “Round, Round, Round (Blue Rondo à la Turk),” there’s a
display of gratitude not only to Dave Brubeck, but also to Al
Jarreau, whose lyrics pop through the speakers. Then the Voices take us across
time and space, visiting different styles and locales with their customary
shine. There’s a gleaming performance of Chick Corea’s “Open Your
Eyes, You Can Fly,” an enchanting a cappella take on Cuban pianist Ignacio
Cervantes’ “Los Tres Golpes,” an easygoing slice of Ellingtonia in
the form of the title track, and a nod to Al Jolson by way of Ray Charles on an
“Avalon” throwback.
While this album primarily focuses on classics and the occasional hidden gem, a
pair of originals sneak into the mix and deserve a good look. Meader’s
“Moments In A Mirror,” with Gabriel Hahn adding some
notable vocal and body percussion, grooves in line with the album’s theme; and
“The Forecast Is Sunny,” co-written by Kinhan and Eldridge, takes on
wider ambitions in story and scope, appealing to the singer-songwriter streak
that both composers share.
Reminiscing In Tempo can be seen as a strong distillation of what this vocal force is all about, yet there’s really no way the group can boil itself down into a single record. If time has taught us anything, it’s that New York Voices’ gifts simply can’t be contained.
Dan Bilawsky (All About Jazz)
