Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Nicky Schrire: To The Spring

7

Nicky Schrire: To The Spring

By

Sign in to view read count
Nicky Schrire: To The Spring
It's brief—barely 30 minutes long—and released only in digital form, but To The Spring packs plenty into its allotted time span. This is the third release from singer and songwriter Nicky Schrire. It's another excellent release, her voice framed by the sparse but sympathetic piano and bass of Fabian Almazan and Desmond White.

Schrire's voice matures and grows more confident with every release. It's technically impressive, but more importantly it's striking in its ability to inhabit and project the emotions of her lyrics. Her voice is distinctive—a mix of her British birth, South African upbringing and New York home. If there is a point of comparison it seems to come from folk and Americana rather than jazz—the McGarrigle sisters, perhaps even Iris DeMent.

Schrire's impressive debut, Freedom Flight (Circavision Productions, 2012), included songs by writers such as James Taylor, Bob Dylan and Loudon Wainwright III (once married to Kate McGarrigle). Album number two, Space And Time (Magenta Label, 2013), again featured a range of covers. Instead of the debut's backing band, it pared down the backing to just a piano. To The Spring is Schrire's first fully self-penned collection. It's a strong half dozen, full of charm, lyrically arresting and with a strong sense of narrative.

Schrire's love of wordless vocals, already apparent on Freedom Flight, continues. Such an approach is expressive and enables her, as a vocalist, to engage in improvisation—her avowed favorite aspect of jazz music. At its best it heightens the impact of the song, as on "Your Love" and "Give It Away," when Schrire multi-tracks the vocals for added impact. On "To The Spring," however, the wordless vocals verge on the melodramatic, coming close to breaking the almost magical spell conjured by Schrire's fragile lead vocal and Almazan's considered and sympathetic piano.

"Traveler" is the collection's killer song, an absolute classic in waiting. A simple melody, a rhythm made all the more engaging by White and Almazan's unison playing of its repeated three-note phrase and Schrire's purest performance. The lyric, about a travelling musician, tells a story—a more innocent "Superstar" at first, but with a twist that turns the tables as the musician ends up writing songs "in empty rooms." To The Spring is an emphatic demonstration of Schrire's talents: she's in no danger of such a melancholy fate.

Track Listing

Traveler; Your Love; To The Spring; Fall Apart; Father; Give It Away.

Personnel

Nicky Schrire: vocals; Fabian Almazan: piano; Desmond White: double bass.

Album information

Title: To The Spring | Year Released: 2014 | 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.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

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.