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Judy Wexler: Back to the Garden
ByJudy Wexlerpetite in stature, but tremendously talented and agile in artistryand her cadre of LA's best, delivers her finest performance and certainly most ambitious album to date. And, given her track record, via five celebrated albums, Back to the Garden borrowing a 60's adjective is very "heavy."
Though young when most of these tracks hit the airwaves in chaotic times, Wexler dives fully into the familiar melodic and message content. Jeff Colella & Josh Nelson's unique arrangements and the ensemble's performances brilliantly deliver stunningly new perspectives. "Get Together," originally a more Folk-like side, kicks things off slickly and texturally, and portends different things to come. Joni Mitchell's manifesto about urban development, "Big Yellow Taxi" is the funk-quirky killer champion on this album. "Something's Happening Here" has Wexler, Colella, and team going towards deeper, darker-blue imagery than the original. "Everybody's Talkin' " from "Midnight Cowboy," (United Artists, 1969) is taken slower than normal and has Wexler talking beautifully, followed by a slick Hendrik Meurkens' solo (a nod to Toots Thielemans who performed on the soundtrack).
Wexler's awesome vocal talent, dexterity, and expressive flair lavishly wash across the session. While this was Pop fare in the day, hers is not a Pop voice. Rather, she's a hip vocalist whose tune engagement is paramount. That's quite apparent on "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" (with a fine Jay Jennings trumpet solo). It would be so easy for a singer to "re-sing" this material. Wexler doesn't. She and the crew have re- ignited it, lending new reflections on Pop gospels.
Back to the Garden is quite a recording. It is an accomplishment and truly an aural "Garden of Earthly Delights."
Track Listing
Get Together; Up on the Roof; American Tune; Big Yellow Taxi; The Times They Are A- Changin'; Since You Asked; For What It's Worth; Everybody's Talkin'; Forever Young; Who Knows Where the Time Goes.
Personnel
Judy Wexler
vocalsJeff Colella
pianoLarry Koonse
guitar, electricGabe Davis
bass, acousticSteve Hass
drumsBob Thiele, Jr,
guitar, electricErin Bentlage
vocalsDanny Janklow
saxophoneJay Jennings
trumpetHendrik Meurkens
harmonicaSara Caswell
violinJoel Pargman
violinCarrie Kennedy
violinrodney wirtz
violaStephanie Fife
celloTalley Sherwood
vocalsAlbum information
Title: Back to the Garden | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Jewel City Jazz
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Album Review
Nicholas F. Mondello
Back to the Garden
Jewel City Jazz
Judy Wexler
Hendrik Muerkens
Toots Thielemans