Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gabriela Martina: No White Shoes

10

Gabriela Martina: No White Shoes

By

Sign in to view read count
Gabriela Martina: No White Shoes
Swiss-born, Boston/New York based vocalist/composer Gabriela Martina makes her debut with No White Shoes, a collection of mostly original music with diverse influences. Jazz, rock, funk, pop, gospel and even Alpine roots music contribute to the eclectic mix. The opener "Narcissus" refers to the symbolism of the album's cover photo, with Martina's face obscured by a mirror. The songwriting and singing both recall Joni Mitchell—one of pop music's greatest eclectic artists—and Finnish guitarist Jussi Reijonen turns in a memorable rock guitar solo. "Origin" is latin funk, with a great vocalise hook and a jazz piano solo from Czech-born pianist
Jiri Nedoma. The title tune is a funk-tinged celebration of artistic independence.

Martina goes back to her jazz roots with two covers, each a radical reinterpretation. Wayne Shorter's "Witch Hunt"—originally on Speak No Evil (Blue Note, 1965)—is re-imagined as an acapella choral piece, with Martina overdubbing all of the parts. It's performed at a much slower tempo, and the theme isn't stated explicitly until a ways into the track. Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia" starts out with a modern rhythm, but later ventures into bebop swing territory, as well as featuring another overdriven guitar solo from Reijonen. The closing track "Thirsty Flower" slows things down with an atmospheric vocalise, also featuring a soprano sax solo from guest Andrew Halchak.

An impressive debut. Martina has a contemporary sound—similar to artists like Gretchen Parlato or even Norah Jones—but with more emphasis on her own songwriting. It's a potent blend of jazz and pop, stamped with her own personality and aided by a strong backing band.

Track Listing

Narcissus (2012 version); On My Way; Love Me; Origin; Us; No White Shoes; Witch Hunt; A Night in Tunisia; Thirsty Flower.

Personnel

Gabriela Martina: voice; Alex Bailey: drums; Kyle Miles: bass; Jiri Nedoma: piano; Jussi Reijonen: guitar; Andrew Halchak: soprano saxophone (guest); Tareq Rantisi: percussion (guest).

Album information

Title: No White Shoes | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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