Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Louise Rogers & Rick Strong: Bass-ically Speaking

140

Louise Rogers & Rick Strong: Bass-ically Speaking

By

View read count
Louise Rogers & Rick Strong: Bass-ically Speaking
Louise Rogers, a singer with great chops and a warm, witty approach to song, owes a debt, whether consciously or not, to the legendary Sheila Jordan. The latter's approach to improvising (note, among other signs, Rogers' scatting on the title track), as well as the voice-bass format, is evident. But Rogers uses these as a jumping-off point to create her own concept. In Rogers' and Rick Strong's hands the voice/bass format works; they combine seamlessly.

It was not the best idea, however, to include "Dat Dere," a Jordan signature piece, on this date. But elsewhere, however, signs of individualism abound. For one, Strong plays not only string bass, but six-string electric bass too. On "Angel in the House," the electric instrument's guitar-like timbre gives the project a texture different from other voice/bass offerings, and the song emerges as a folk/pop ballad. Here, as on "Willow Weep for Me," Rogers uses vocal overdubbing sparingly and tastefully. Rachelle Ferrell's "Peace on Earth" adds a contemporary pop flavor to the proceedings, and Rogers hits some thrilling, sure-footed sustained tones at the top of her range.

Most of the songs here are noted as being based on or inspired by specific performers or performances. Rogers credits a Bill Evans solo as the spark for the straight-ahead groove on "Autumn Leaves." "Twisted," inspired by Annie Ross (and arguably her signature song), might have been better left alone, though.

It remains to be seen if she continues to develop her own style, stepping out of the shadows of others. Ironically, "Shenandoah," a song that would be perfect for Jordan, is the best track from the session. Rogers mines the song's inherent longing in a strong, yet reflective reading. Here, more than anywhere else on this CD, she sings in her own skin, dropping the fetters of mere interpretation to tap a wellspring of emotion.

Track Listing

Bass-ically Speaking, Angel in the House, Twisted, Willow Weep for Me, Autumn Leaves, Peace on Earth, Dat Dere, Nana, I Thought About You, Shenandoah

Personnel

Louise Rogers, vocals; Rick Strong, string bass and 6-string electric bass

Album information

Title: Bass-ically Speaking | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Rilo Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Louise Rogers Concerts


Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.