Outsiders Insiders (the mix sounds)
Emily Saunders
Released March 17, 2015
The Telegraph Best Jazz Albums of 2015
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nSG7nrFzDi6gy4cR8etSar2J-pliKBynA
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About:
Emily Saunders’ 2nd album ‘Outsiders Insiders’ is a cool, sophisticated Jazz vocal set full of distinctive influences and inventive originality and vocally there are similarities to Gretchen Parlato, Lauren Desberg and Bebel Gilberto. The title track ‘Outsiders Insiders’ is a kind of angular modern jazz flight with a nod to ‘The Beat Goes On’ in the bass line, and Saunders’ delivery is in a sort of languid, robotic semi-spoken word style: you can imagine it’s sung with barely a movement of the head or mouth! There’s a mix of genres here from the light Brasilian of ‘Residing’ to the dreamy, otherworldly weird of ‘You Caught Me’, ‘Moon’ and ‘Descending Down’. ‘Summer Days’ reminds of just that with a warm, airy feel, while ‘Metronomic’ has a latent suspense hovering over it. The atmospheric ‘Reflections’ and the sultry ‘You With Me’ wrap up this elegant jazz set from this highly respected and increasingly lauded writer, arranger and vocalist.
Track Listing:
1. Residing 06:20
2. You Caught Me 05:22
3. Outsiders Insiders 05:07
4. Moon 05:31
5. Summer Days 04:19
6. Descending Down 06:20
7. Metronomic 07:05
8. Reflections 06:23
9. You With Me 02:28
10. Metronomic (2021 Radio Edit) 05:05
11. Moon (2023 Radio Edit) 03:09
Personnel:
Emily Saunders: voice
Byron Wallen: trumpet
Trevor Mires: trombone
Bruno Heinen: keys (rhodes 2, 4-8, piano 9)
Steve Pringle: keys (3)
Dave Whitford: bass (2-5, 7 & 8)
Paul Michael: bass (1 & 6)
Jon Scott: drums (1-8)
Fabio De Oliveira: percussion (1, 5-8)
Asaf Sirkis: percussion (6)
Photography: Amanda Searle
Artwork: Alban Low
Design: Rob Crane
Review:
There’s no doubting the strong vocal technique of Emily Saunders, who trained in Jazz Voice at Trinity Conservatoire, and her phrasing is one of the pleasures of her second album. The nine original jazz numbers, which range across jazz ballads and Sixties soul jazz, allow for strong instrumental solos from a band comprising the excellent Byron Wallen on trumpet along with Trevor Mires (trombone), Bruno Heinen/Steve Pringle (keys), Dave Whitford /Paul Michael (bass) Jon Scott (drums) and Fabio De Oliveira/ Asaf Sirkis (percussion). Highlights include the crisp voice-and-piano ballad You With Me and the optimistic Summer Days. Those who like their jazz sultry and languid will enjoy the album although it will be interesting to see if Saunders brings more fire into future work.
Martin Chilton (The Telegraph)
