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Dept. of Good and Evil
Home > Complete List of "q-r" Artists > Rachel Z > Item 39
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Dept. of Good and Evil
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by Dept. of Good and Evil
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$18.98
At Amazon
on 9-12-2008.
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. . . both to show off her prodigious chops and to interact with her musical peers. The hugely talented Ms. Z seems to have often wound up in settings that failed to manifest her genius--so much so that some of my astute musical friends wrote her off as merely a chops-heavy, bombastic keyboardist. Add to that slinky, seductive cover art and she's positioned more as a cultural icon than a serious artist. Nor does it help that her last recording, Grace, found her venturing into pop-jazz waters with a less-than-mesmerizing vocal outing. Forget all that. The classically trained pianist (check out her brilliant reworking of a Delibes piece, "Lakme") that made wonderful piano-trio tribute albums to Wayne Shorter and Joni Mitchell is back with her strongest outing to date. It helps immensely that she's found an absolutely sympathetic band, starting especially with the drum chair, featuring the absolutely amazing Bobbie Rae, a name unknown to me, but boy, can he play! Where has this dude been? He reminds me of another modern drummer, Yoron Israel, who's never gotten his due, especially his concept on snare, with a little Billy Kilson thrown in. Bassist Maeve Royce (also never before heard by me) makes a strong impression as well, with her solid Paul Chamberish concept, somewhat reminiscent of Jon Webber. Several numbers featuring Tony Levin on electric bass and Erik Naslund on trumpet provide extra color, dynamics and drive. This band's ensemble playing shimmers with absolutely gorgeous sympathetic conversation, all executed with seeming ease against a background of subtly shifting rhythmic figures. The songs, an intriguing mix of jazz standards (Shorter's "ESP" and Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge"), pop classics ("King of Pain," "Aint No Sunshine," and "Love Will Tear Us Apart"), and Z/Rae originals ("Moon and Sun," "Walking on Water," and "Saint of New Orleans"), were shrewdly chosen to showcase the band's versatility and range. That the group moves so supplely through such a varied program, always nailing the heart of each number while subtly decorating it with delicious filigrees, marks them as a world-class outfit. The only sour note comes with her vocals on "Moon and Sun" and "Walking on Water." It's not that she's a bad singer, although she seems rather too tentative; it's that the vocals break the spell. I'd leave them out in the future. I almost didn't buy this disc, disappointed as I was with Grace. But as it's one of the great sessions of the new year, I'm very glad I did. Highest recommendation.
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Dept. of Good and Evil
Available from Amazon
Price: $18.98
Updated on 9-12-2008.
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