Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Melissa Stylianou: Sliding Down

164

Melissa Stylianou: Sliding Down

By

Sign in to view read count
Melissa Stylianou: Sliding Down
Through her program of standards and originals, jazz vocalist Melissa Stylianou interprets with an emotional fervor. She swings, she's hip, and she delivers a unique performance. Stylianou works in both lyrical presentation and thrilling wordless vocals. Musically, she carries a velvety upper register that floats gently on the breeze. But it's not her voice that stands out as the deciding factor on this recommended album; it's her accompaniment. While the album's focus remains clearly on the singer, her surrounding band members lift her performance considerably.

Stylianou is a communicator. She sings with us instead of to us. Her voice serves as an instrument that weaves the other band members together; she's a team player. This is most evident on her original "Three Little Girls, where her voice interacts with bass, mandolin, guitar and percussion to tell an exotic story. Together, they create an adventure that enthralls. Kevin Breit, Alan Hetherington, Artie Roth and Kim Ratcliffe, in particular, have given the session a hearty texture.

Later, she adds a lovely wordless vocal on "Lohengrin that interacts with cello seamlessly. While Stylianou's voice fits well in this context, everything turns out fine and mellow. The memorable portions of her program come not from the singer, but from her action-packed band.

Track Listing

Them There Eyes; Mary

Personnel

Melissa Stylianou: vocals; Kim Ratcliffe, Rob Piltch: guitar; Kevin Breit: mandolin, guitar; Artie Roth, Jon Maharaj: bass; Ted Warren, Davide Direnzo: drums; Alan Hetherington: drums, percussion; Kevin Fox: cello; Jamie Reynolds: piano.

Album information

Title: Sliding Down | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags

Concerts


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

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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