Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lyn Leon: Glass Lounge

Lyn Leon: Glass Lounge

By Dave Nathan
May 3, 2002
View read count

Lyn Leon is a percussionist group out of Switzerland which features New York vocalist Carolyn Leonhart. On their debut CD, they offer a play list of originals composed by members of the group. Along for the ride are a couple of guest performers, the most important being Wolf Zwiauer who provides some foundation to the proceedings on bass. The most interesting percussive play things are glasses which produce a sound similar to an elongated single note coming from an organ. There's also a gurgling like sound which recalls the rippling rhythm of long ago band leader Shep Fields who got that sensation by blowing through a straw into a glass of water.

The music from this group is as smooth as jazz can be. It is melodic, seamless and very relaxed. It really makes no difference which tune from the program is being played. It all has the persistent back beat of Kaspar Rast's drums along with somber emissions from the Rhodes. Leonhart sings everything with equal intensity and deep, heartfelt emotion. She has what I call a push and pull style. Like many of the pop singers on the contemporary scene, she pushes out the one line and pulls back in with the next line, much like a human bellows. There's also the usual vocal overdubs cloning herself into a background singer. The lyrics for the tunes, all written by Leonhart, are printed in the liner notes. This album will definitely appeal to those who prefer their jazz fused with modern pop rhythms and don't really much care if the music doesn't swing.

Track Listing

Never; Stronger Than That; Would You Catch Me; 66th Street; Childish; Priquer; Marimba Lounge; The Answer; Everywhere and Nowhere; Anytime; Photo; Silver Storm

Personnel

Lyn Leon

Carolyn Leonhart - Vocals; Stephan Diethelm, Matthias Eser - Glass, Rhodes, Mallets, Percussion; Wolf Zwiauer - Bass; Kaspar Rast - Drums/Percussion

Album information

Title: Glass Lounge | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Percords

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Speaking in Tones
< Previous

Seasons Change
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.