Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ashley Daneman: People Are Fragile

2

Ashley Daneman: People Are Fragile

By

View read count
Ashley Daneman: People Are Fragile
While solidity and vulnerability are at opposite ends of the strength spectrum, they also exist as two sides of the same coin. All that is broken can be put back together, much of what's whole isn't without interstitial breaks, and the human experience is built around the fluid bonds between the two representative emotional extremes connected to these states. It's this very notion that serves as the foundation for vocalist Ashley Daneman's work.

With Beauty Indestructible (Self Produced, 2015), Daneman ventured into the topic of personal resilience and persistence with great bravery and success. This moving follow-up date flips the focus, using vulnerability as its through line. Across twelve emotionally-charged performances, Daneman explores and accepts the very idea that we each live in a fragile state. And of greater importance, she shows us that visible breaks and wounds can actually serve as a source of beauty. Inspired by kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing broken items with lacquer mixed with powdered gold or other precious metals, thereby treating the breaks as a shining part of something's being and history—Daneman delivers a program that's accepting of the imperfections we all struggle with and as honest as they come.

Joined by a crack crew of (mostly) Chicago-based musicians, Daneman leaves no stone unturned in her universally applicable self-examination. Possessing a singer-songwriter's sense of focus, a forward-thinking jazz singer's thrill for the unknown, and a perceptive gaze that penetrates the hardest of topic surfaces, she turns songs into fellowships connecting artist and listener. "I Alone Love The Unseen In You," opening on Becca Stevens-esque vocal overdubs before shifting into a slow and soulful 6/8, takes its title ideal into an impassioned realm. "If I Knew Who I Was" bounds along while diving into purpose and meaning. "Shake It All Down," benefiting from Matt Gold's refracting guitar lines and drummer Quinlan Kirchner's country-inflected shimmy, ties into revelations both dark and light in nature. And "The Feeling Of Heavy" supports and frames a masterful handling of life's weight(s) with a sashaying snare-and- bass groove and a tasteful gloss.

While Daneman's songwriting is key to the success of People Are Fragile, the playlist isn't without some ear-catching familiar fare. Turning to Gershwin's Porgy And Bess, she borrows "My Man's Gone Now" and makes it her own through a funky and (briefly) free-floating makeover. And of even greater significance is a pair of spirituals—"Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" and "Deep River." With only Rufus Ferguson's piano beside her, Daneman draws from the recesses of her past and present. She imbues these timeless pieces with a multitude of sentiments. Both prove to be highlights on this most revealing and truthful of statements.

Track Listing

I Alone Love The Unseen In You; If I Knew Who I was; Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child; When You Break; Shake It All Down; Daddy's Gonna Die Soon; Deep River; My Man's Gone Now; The Feeling Of Heavy; Pictures In The Atmosphere; Did Anyone Ever Sow You A Lie?; Recall.

Personnel

Ashley Daneman: vocals; Rob Clearfield: piano, wurlitzer, organ (1-2, 4-5, 8-12); Andrew Vogt: electric bass (1-2, 4-5, 8-12); Makaya McCraven: drums (2, 8, 9, 12); Quinlan Kirchner: drums (1, 4-6, 10); Matt Gold: guitar, lap steel (1, 4-6); Rufus Ferguson: piano (3, 7); Kevin Bujo Jones: percussion (8).

Album information

Title: People Are Fragile | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Flood Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 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.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.