Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gretchen Parlato: In A Dream

Gretchen Parlato: In A Dream

By C. Michael Bailey
September 11, 2010
View read count

Track review of "Azure"

Vocalist Gretchen Parlato is part Bobby McFerrin, part Theo Bleckmann, and David Binney. All men, yes. Parlato's voice is light as an apparition, ethereal and implied. She is fond of vocal gymnastics as is McFerrin. She shares a sense of humor in art with Bleckmann and a musical adventurousness with Binney. In A Dream is the recording Chet Baker would have made, had he been a woman. Both vocalists share an opaqueness in an otherwise transparent instrument.

Duke Ellington's "Azure" is a suitable vehicle for Parlato. It is one of Ellington's lighter pieces, one well-crafted for delicate voices like Parlato's. She delivers the lyrics in a breathy whir over Lionel Loueke's acoustic guitar. The neighborhood is vaguely Latin. Derrick Hodge's brief bass solo adds an organically integrated element to the piece, recalling the instrumentation favored by singer Cassandra Wilson. Much has been made of Gretchen Parlato, and for good reason.

Track Listing

I Can't Help It; Within; Butterfly; In A Dream; Doralice; Turning Into Blue; E.S.P.; Azure; On The Other Side; Weak.

Personnel

Gretchen Parlato

vocals

Gretchen Parlato: voice, percussion; Lionel Loueke: acoustic guitar, voice; Aaron Parks: piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer, glockenspiel; Derrick Hodge: acoustic bass, electric bass; Kendrick Scott: drums.

Album information

Title: In a Dream | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: ObliqSound

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Tamia + Mario + Chrisette Michelle, ...
< Previous

Fay Victor At The Local 269 in New Y...
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.