Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Rosie Henshaw: Rosie and the Bees

5

Rosie Henshaw: Rosie and the Bees

By

Sign in to view read count
Rosie Henshaw: Rosie and the Bees
Vocal jazz but with more than a dash of rock must be one of the hardest niche markets to break into. So it is with Rosie and the Bees, whose eponymously titled debut album makes a very brave stab at the scene. This Australian trio, Rosie—of which more later—Banel Martinez on guitar and Byron Mark on keyboards and percussion are augmented by other musicians on this recording, but the main focus is on Rosie herself, a talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, although here she restricts her extra-vocal talents to bass guitar, double bass and sitar.

The album is replete with some instant ear-grabbers. Examples of this immediacy are to be found on the breezy "The Sun," the unequivocally beautiful "Jasmine" and "Sail My Ship" the deceptively restrained opening of which gives way to a somewhat meatier outing, in which Henshaw undertakes some elegant sitar (as also found on "Sunshine Soldier") along with a bass track and ubiquitous vocal duties. But "Mama Song" is a real clincher with perfectly gauged jazz sensibility, Henshaw's voice here channelling Joni Mitchell at her Mingusian best. Her vocals are excellent and more often than not, the tracks feature Henshaw expertly multi-tracking her own backing vocals. Her voice is a cross between Macy Gray and Amy Winehouse, but with its own distinctively recognisable timbre.

On tracks like the fascinatingly haunting "You," her true potential becomes much more obvious. This is also true of the slow burning "In the Scheme," which encapsulates some of the most overtly jazzy arrangements, with Hammond-esque organ and interspersed with relatively complex time signatures. Other notable tracks include the memorable "Let There Be Love" and, especially, the quirky "Bubble," a showcase for Victor Martinez Parada's sumptuous acoustic guitar playing.

The comparatively bland "Ode to Music" segues intriguingly into the bonus track, a laid back tour de force, curiously titled "Birdshite," with Henshaw accompanying herself on bass guitar and exemplifying just how good a musician she is. This is an extremely good first foray by a singer with a bright future.

Track Listing

The Sun; Sunshine Soldier; You; Jasmine; Sail My Ship; Let There Be Love; Mama Song; Bubble; In The Scheme; Ode To Music; Birdshite.

Personnel

Rosie Henshaw: vocals, bass, sitar; Banel Martinez: guitar: Dauno Martinez: bass; Buddy Siolo: drums; Fenix Martinez: synthesizers; Byron Mark: piano; Maharshi Raval: tabla; Victor Martinez Parada: guitar; Steve Marin: drums

Album information

Title: Rosie and the Bees | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Martinez Productions

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.