Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kayle Brecher: Spirals And Lines
Kayle Brecher: Spirals And Lines
ByMany a surprise surfaces on Spirals And Lines, as Brecher builds an eclectic program that's as American as apple pie, yet far left of the norm. The brass latticework that introduces the title track serves as a warning that this isn't a typical jazz vocal record and Brecher confirms this line of thinking time and again. Her reworked "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" sounds like a cross between Jordan and Laura Nyro, and she brings some New Orleans swagger into Bob Dylan's world on "Paths Of Victory." Kaleidoscopic swing adjustments inform her arrangement of "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime," and she proselytizes about an idealized America on "The House I Live In." The stripped down piano-and-voice pairing on this track does nothing to diminish its power and directness.
Brecher utilizes a large cast to make her musical points, but it's the key players within this cast that give the project its sonic identity. Chief among these musicians is sousaphone whiz Jimmy Parker. He fills the obvious gap left where a bassist would normally sit, but he does so much more than that. His horn is the cornerstone of performances like "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime" and "Paths Of Victory." Both numbers allow him to anchor the band while displaying his supportive, yet puckish-to-pugnacious personality. Pianist David Dzubinski proves to be equally important through his supportive and collaborative work, and guitarist Frank Butrey brings a bluesy sensibility into the picture.
Brecher's skills are many and varied, but her greatest strength may be her ability to balance the offbeat with the accessible. She never completely goes full tilt in one direction or the other. Instead, she finds herselfand defines herselfby living in the zone between both worlds; as an artist, that's a great place to build a home.
Track Listing
Spirals And Lines; High Flying Bird; When Johnny Comes Marching Home; Paths Of Victory; Will Of The Wind; Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?; The House I Live In; Noddin' Ya Head Blues; So It Goes.
Personnel
Kaylé Brecher
vocalsKayle Brecher: vocals, percussion (2, 9); Jimmy Parker: sousaphone; Stan Slotter: flugelhorn, trumpet; David Dzubinski: piano; Frank Butrey: electric guitar, acoustic guitar; George Rabbai: trumpet; Tony DeSantis: trumpet; Fred Scott: trombone; Jarred Antonacci: trombone; Barry McCommon: bass trombone; George Barnett: french horn; Mike Jarosz: french horn; Grant MacAvoy: drums; Erik Johnson: drums; Adgardo Cintron: percussion.
Album information
Title: Spirals And Lines | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Penchant Four Records