1. Cry Me a River
2. Don’t Explain
3. Let’s Fall in Love
4. My Funny Valentine
5. When I Grow Too Old to Dream
6. Let’s Explain
7. Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby
8. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
9. The Man I Love
10. You Don’t Learn That in School
11. Until the Real Thing Comes Along
12. Careless Love
13. Baby Baby All the Time
14. That Old Feeling
15. Empty Rooms
16. Sitting on Top of the World
Zoe Schwarz – Vocals
Rob Koral – Guitars
Not since the mid-fifties, when jazz singers such as June Christie,
Chris Connor, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald dominated
the music scene, has there been such a plethora of highly-regarded
jazz-influenced vocalists. Names such as Diana Krall, Carol Welsman,
Madeleine Peyroux, Natalie Cole and Norah Jones come to mind, and
so is it any wonder that such a talented singer as Zoe Schwarz has
difficulty gaining broader recognition outside the UK?
With her most recent album, Celebration, Zoe Schwarz along
with guitarist Rob Koral offers a sweeping review of contemporary
standards, jazz and otherwise, from the who’s who of American composers.
Leading off with Cry Me a River, Schwarz offers a smoky rendition
of this tune but it lacks the breathy sexiness of the original Julie
London interpretation .Other ballads such as My Funny Valentine,
The Man I Love, Don`t Explain and Boulevard of Broken Dreams
provide Schwarz with the opportunity to showcase her throaty voice
and unconventional delivery. Up-tempo numbers are not neglected, with
Let`s Fall in Love and Is You Is or Is You Ain`t My Baby
among the most compelling. There are two original numbers on the
disc - namely Let`s Explain and Empty Rooms - with the
former offering deference to the Billie Holiday classic Don`t Explain.
Finally Schwarz offers particularly tasty versions of You Don’t
Learn That in School and the closing track Sitting on Top of
the World.
It is quite apparent that there is a wonderful harmonious relationship
between Schwarz and Koral and it is fully reflected in the interplay
between them. While this disc does not break any new musical ground,
it does offer an intimacy that smoulders rather than sizzles.
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
33Jazz 201
