Michelle Nicolle & Larry Koonse: The Silent Wish

In The Silent Wish, Australian vocalist Michelle Nicolle collaborates with American guitar virtuoso Larry Koonse in a duo setting that removes all excess, revealing the essence of musical conversation. This recording is both daring and intimate, as it marks Nicolle's entry into a new chapter of vocal exploration, driven by a desire to awaken her creative senses and explore unfamiliar emotional terrain.

The decision to work with Koonse proved inspired. Nicolle has been acknowledged for her sensitive phrasing and harmonic boldness, but in this setting, with only the harmonic and rhythmic support of Koonse's guitar, she is both unguarded and in command. Koonse, for his part, plays the role of partner and provocateur. His voicings are never static, his lines often surprising, and his unflagging sense of swing elevates the dialogue into something revelatory.

The program consists largely of standards, yet this is no run-through of well-known material as exemplified by the opening track "When Your Lover Has Gone." With Koonse's guitar offering an opaque introduction, the number becomes a meditation on solitude, with Nicolle using space, vocalese and phrasing to imbue the number with a quiet gravity.

The New Zealand group Split Enz crafted "I Hope I Never," which was a big hit in Australia. Nicolle delivers a wistful interpretation of the number's searing lyrics, which showcase her ability and flexibility to uncover jazz potential in contemporary material. The jazz/pop hit "I'm Glad There Is You" was composed by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira in 1941 and originally recorded on Decca Records by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra. In this rendition, Nicolle has found the emotional center of the number, making every word ring with sincerity.

On "My One And Only Love," a ballad which is often supported by lush orchestration, here it is reduced to its bare emotional bones. As Koonse's spare, harmonically rich accompaniment lends the track a sense of suspended time, Nicolle caresses the melody with quiet intensity. The acknowledged jazz great Benny Carter, along with renowned lyricist Sammy Cahn, came together to write "Only Trust Your Heart," which Nicolle swings with quiet insistence. Through the magic of technology, Koonse lays down a nylon string rhythm track and then another counter-melodic track, adding to the sophistication of the interpretation.

The album closes with "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? " written by the triple-threat combination of Michel Legrand along with Marilyn and Alan Bergman. Nicolle exposes her capacity for emotional depth, navigating the tune's lush harmonies with an aching, unforced poignancy.

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