Out of Dust (ACT)
Laila Biali
Released March 27, 2020
JAZZ FM 25 Best Jazz Albums of 2020
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mszIknAL28ZMVY0eRYfJlUwc9O6BB-PRc
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/34plDBDCyF0eztSztyWQZZ?si=ORiGbkCCSY6Cgypiu-qB-A
About:
The last few years have been a roller-coaster for Laila Biali.
For nearly every major triumph—a highly acclaimed return to jazz, winning the JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year, touring the world—the singer-songwriter has faced a private debilitating crisis. In just a few short years, Biali lost a close friend, mourned a family member, and dealt with health challenges of her own. It was a period of change and heartache—but it was also a season of great inspiration and hope. The result is Biali’s deeply personal new album, Out of Dust.
“These new songs took shape as I processed my own feelings of doubt and loss,” Biali reveals. “I believe that nothing is wasted, that even life’s greatest trials can produce something meaningful, if only to make us more empathetic to the struggles of those around us.”
This hard-won optimism is apparent in the music. Instead of giving into the darkness, Out of the Dust finds Biali luxuriating in the light. Co-produced by Biali and her husband, Ben Wittman, the album is a celebration of life; warm and uplifting even as it confronts her recent challenges (and the current political climate!) head-on.
The political is personal on the brassy album opener, “Revival.” Transforming global tumult into an inspiring call-to-arms, she sings with the clear-eyed confidence of a warrior, “Come on down / There’s a fire underground!” This fervor animates the entire album, even its quieter, more personal moments:
“Wendy’s Song,” a piano ballad dedicated to the friend she lost, turns the details of a single life into a powerful epic; “Glass House,” which she co-wrote with her husband, frankly addresses the after-effects of a family member’s struggle with mental health issues; “Take the Day Off” bluntly acknowledges the reality of healing with Biali singing that it’s OK to “pull the sheets over your head” and “unwind” when you need to. Even “Take Me To The Alley,” the album’s sole cover, holds special meaning for Biali: she sang an ethereal version of the Gregory Porter song at her friend’s memorial.
In addition to contributions from Biali’s husband, Out of the Dust features multiple GRAMMY nominees and winners including vocalist Lisa Fisher, saxophonists John Ellis and Godwin Louis, drummer Larnell Lewis, and trombonist Alan Ferber, who composed all the horn arrangements. The album’s collaborative atmosphere led to “Au pays de Cocagne,” Biali’s first French co-write, which was created with francophone singer Sonia Johnson. “There’s a line from a song by the indie gospel group, Gungor, that has become like an anthem to me,” Biali says. “‘He makes beautiful things out of dust.’ That’s where the title for the album comes from, and as a songwriter and musician, my ultimate intention and hope is to spread a little more love.”
Track Listing:
1. Revival (Laila Biali) 03:57
2. Monolith (Laila Biali) 05:13
3. Glass House (Ben Wittman & Laila Biali) 04:56
4. Wendy’s Song (Laila Biali) 04:39
5. Sugar (Laila Biali) 04:13
6. Alpha Waves (Laila Biali) 04:08
7. Au pays de Cocagne (Laila Biali & Sonia Johnson) 04:12
8. Take Me To The Alley (Gregory Porter) 05:23
9. The Baker’s Daughter (Laila Biali) 05:24
10. Broken Vessels (Laila Biali) 05:34
11. Take The Day Off (Laila Biali & Joshua Biali-Wittman) 03:40
Personnel:
Laila Biali: piano & vocals
Rick Brown: electric bass (1, 3, 5, 9, 10)
George Koller: acoustic bass (2, 4, 6-8)
Larnell Lewis: drums (3, 5, 9)
Ben Wittman: drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10), percussion
Glenn Patscha: organ (1, 2, 4, 5, 8-10), keyboards (1, 2)
John Ellis: tenor saxophone (1, 4, 8), bass clarinet (1, 5, 9)
Godwin Louis: soprano saxophone (2, 3, 9, 10)
Mike “Maz” Maher: trumpet (1, 5, 9); vocals (6)
Remy Le Boeuf: alto saxophone, flute, clarinet (1, 5, 9)
Alan Ferber: trombone (1, 5, 9)
Lisa Fischer: vocals (1, 4, 5)
Adam Thomas: vocals (9)
Drew Jurecka: violin (2-4, 6, 7)
Rebekah Wolkstein: violin (2-4, 6, 7)
Shannon Knights: viola (2-4, 6, 7)
Lydia Munchonsky: cello (2-4, 6, 7)
Jo Lawry: vocals (1, 2, 5, 8, 10)
Michelle Wills: vocals (1, 2, 5, 8, 10)
Dennis Collins: vocals (1, 2, 5, 8, 10)
Recording Engineers: L. Stu Young & Luke Schindler (Revolution Recording Studios, Toronto) & Oliver Straus (Mission Sound Studios, New York City)
Mixing Engineer: Tim Abraham, assisted by Jonathon Unger
Mastering Engineer: João Carvalho, assisted by Bryan Lowe
Produced by Ben Wittman & Laila Biali
Review:
There’s no
boxing Laila Biali in. A sharp-minded
songwriter, respected pianist and celebrated vocalist who straddles jazz and
pop with unusual ease and strength of vision, Biali is truly beyond category.
Possessing clear eyes, a perceptive mien and a sharpshooters’s gifts in regard
to emotional aim, she often expresses more in a single breath than others do in
an entire album. Capable of making you laugh and cry all at once, her delivery
out of dust is divine.
Riding highs and lows, touching on the personal and political, and drawing
meaning from all that supports and subverts, Biali creates a tapestry in song
that speaks to pain, hope, humor, loss and a broad desire to find what’s right
in a world filled with wrongs. Opening on “Revival,” a charged tale
of modern life, politics and rousing responses in the age of Donald Trump,
Biali is quick to speak her mind and drive through the turmoil. But she’s just as likely to embrace the everyman in
need, demonstrated during an absorbing trip through Gregory Porter’s
“Take Me To The Alley,” or speak to rescue and rejoice, as on
“Broken Vessels.” Calling out calamities and questioning a false
prophet just happens to be the starting point.
What ties together all of those pieces—and other standouts,
like the moving “Wendy’s Song” and the fun(ky) “Sugar”—is
an ability to simply tell it like it is. Yes, the poetic writing is incredibly expressive, the
arrangements are well-wrought works of art, the A-list cast does a fine job
fleshing out the charts, and the production values, courtesy of Biali and
drummer/co-producer Ben Wittman’s unerring ears, add tremendous depth to
the music. But in the end, it’s really about an artist’s
ability to connect. Everything Laila
Biali sings is believable and relatable, and when you surround that type of
communicative purpose with sympathetic sounds—a supportive rhythmic base, Godwin
Louis’ gorgeous soprano filigree, a horn section made up of top-notch talent
like trombonist/arranger Alan Ferber and multi-reedists John Ellis
and Remy Le Boeuf, A-list backing vocals from the like of Lisa
Fischer and Jo Lawry, among others—everything just gels. Exploring
an emotional spectrum that covers an entire 360 degrees of experience, Out
Of Dust is as real as they come.
Dan Bilawsky (All About Jazz)
