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Yasam Hancilar Band: Here’s to Life
ByPianist Christian Pabst introduces "How Deep is the Ocean" as one would expect McCoy Tyner to do. Orchestral chording dispatched with force and authority get the ball rolling on the Irving Berlin classic. Mauricio Ramirez's drumming extends the John Coltrane motif in the cymbals. When Hancilar enters, he approaches the lyrics with an earnest respect that gives way to some free, if not calculated scat singing, that piques interest with what is to come. Thad Jones' "This Child is Born" is taken at a full-ballad throttle with Pabst again recalling Tyner.
Gratefully, Hancilar is one with the guts to cover Leon Russell's "This Masquerade." Instrumentally, the song is transformed into an intricate and complex play over the chords, giving the song a propulsive momentum. This is the most fully re-imagined song on the disc, followed closely by Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments," where Hancilar and his band swing most comfortably. Hancilar largely succeeds in reframing a well-trodden repertoire. But, he is not finished and it will be interesting to see what he does next.
Track Listing
How Deep is the Ocean; The Best is Yet to Come; A Child is Born; E Que Deus Ajude; This Masquerade; It Could Happen to You; Stolen Moments; Falando De Amor; Just Friends; Here’s to Life.
Personnel
Yasam Hancilar
vocalsYasam Hancilar: vocals; Christian Pabst: piano; Marco Zenini: bass; Mauricio Ramirez: drums.
Album information
Title: Here’s to Life | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced
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