Home »
Jazz Articles » Album Review » Shirley Eikhard: Going Home
Shirley Eikhard: Going Home
Ah,
la Shirley. Smoky-voiced, sensual, Shirley Eikhard has the full low tones of Sarah Vaughn and the bold spiritedness of Cleo Laine. Not only is her singing emotionally powerful, but, unusually enough, she wrote the songs that serve as its vehicle here. They range from intimate bossa nova ("Desperately") to up-tempo jazz ("Nothin' Like Love," "Crazy from the Heat") to smoky, bluesy torch ballad ("About Last Night") to time-twisting explorations ("Easy Sailin'" and the funky "A Little Fun").
Nor is that all. The bittersweet ballad "Emily Remembers" is a heart-rending story of an Alzheimer's victim; it approaches folk territory in instrumentation (guitar) and feel - and in the topicality of its subject matter. "Disciples of Cain" contains a similarly wrenching lyric, this time about abuse. Folk traces appear again on "If We Had Never Met" and the harmonica(!)-based "Going Home."
Ed Bickert plays a respectful, understated guitar, ably setting off Eikhard's subtly passionate voice. Marcus Printup contributes some stellar trumpet to "Disciples of Cain" and "Nothin' Like Love." Mike Murley's bluesy sax enlivens "About Last Night." Also on hand are Bob Erlendson (piano), George Koller (bass), and Mark Kelso (drums).
No fan of jazz vocals should miss Shirley Eikhard!
Personnel
Album information
Title: Going Home
| Year Released: 1999
| Record Label: Blue Note Records
PREVIOUS / 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.