Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Shane Fontayne: What Nature Intended

150

Shane Fontayne: What Nature Intended

By

View read count
The ability to create music that challenges boundaries is a rare gift. Shane Fontayne does just that and more on What Nature Intended. Pushing the musical limits, Fontayne takes you on a rapturous trip. The guitarist/vocalist/composer has played with such greats as Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and U2. His debut solo album, What Nature Intended, is a collage of the soul. Each song is a touching experience that leaves the listener an attentive partner along the journey.

“Weight of the World” provides an acoustically distant guitar with sexy, deep vocals. Like an artist with a brush and acrylics, Fontayne allows you to see the canvas, sense the depth and touch a part of his world. Magic wand in hand, Fontayne continues to toy with the listener throughout the CD. No one song has the same groove. For instance, Fontayne takes on a sweetly gentle voice in “Little Napoleons,” while he kicks it up with “Spin It.” An instrumental version of “Little Napoleons” was recently featured on the HBO’s “Sex and the City.”

A tragic love letter, “Serenade/Marlene,” is presented in a bossa nova flavor. Guest instrumentalist Chris Botti (trumpet) provides lonesome ambience in the background, while Fontayne calls to a lost love. As he tugs at your heartstrings, you visualize Fontayne in a pool of mixed emotions. Leaving no musical stone unturned, “Bubble and Squeak” provides an experimental voyage with an infusion of background vocal clips. If you listen carefully, you will hear an answering machine. On a completely different note, “There’s Only Room for Me” provides a vintage feel in a swinging romantic mode.

“Voodoo in the House” is the most memorable song of the entire album. The haunting layers of the instruments and vocals put the audience on edge. Fontanye calls upon trumpeter Chris Botti to provide off-kilter vibes. Adding closure this eclectic work of art, “You’ll Never Know” speaks of innocence, grace and mystery. The beauty of experiencing life to the very fullest is what What Nature Intended is all about.

For more information, visit www.shanefontayne.com .

Track Listing

Weight Of The World, Little Napoleons, Cut From The Same Cloth, Spin It, Serenade, Marlene, So High, Bubble & Squeak, It's Only Love, Weigh Down Into Gold, Burmese Inertia, There's Only Room For Me, Voodoo In The House, You'll Never Know

Personnel

Shane Fontayne (vocals, keys, guitar, mandolin, steel and bass), Chris Botti (trumpet), Jay Bellerose (drums, percussion, castanets, cajon and tabla), Jennifer Condos (bass), Freebo (tuba), Steve Gurr (guitar), Sean Lennon (drums), David McKelvy (harmonica), Scott McKenzie (phone message), James Rubinstein (backing vocals), Robin Sylvester (bass, guitar, piano, glockenspiel, percussion, vibes) and CJ Vanston (organ, strings)

Album information

Title: What Nature Intended | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Mile End


About Shane Fontayne

Tags


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Become a Sustaining Member

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.

More

Airborn
Eddie Parker's Airborn With Rob Luft
Slow Down For Turtles
Luca Benedetti
Relocate
Andres Thor
A Distant Land
Rich Halley 4

Popular

Desolation Row
David Maranha / Rodrigo Amado
2014 NYC
King Crimson
Beneath Lifted Skies
Linda May Han Oh & Melissa Aldana
Talamanti
Patricia Brennan and Sylvie Courvoisier

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletters highlight our top stories, top album reviews, website news, free songs, radio & podcast shows, news, 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.