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Mark Lewandowski: A Bouquet (for Lady Day)
ByAs with Waller, Lewandowski teams up with pianist Liam Noble. Whereas that was a trio recording (with drummer Paul Clarvis) A Bouquet For Lady Day is mostly duets, with singer Heidi Vogel lending smoky gravitas to "Lady Sings The Blues" and "Left Alone," songs which also acknowledge Holiday's collaborators Herbie Nichols and Mal Waldron.
Given the reduced setting, the aim from the outset was evidently to avoid slavish reproduction or mawkish tribute. Instead, Lewandowski and Noble revel in intimate dialogues as playful as they are tender. The overarching mood is mellow, the exchanges melodious; clearly, this is a celebration of Holiday's musical gifts to the world, with little room for mournful reflection on the darker aspects of her short yet storied life.
The sunny disposition of the swinging "This Year's Kisses," the gentle blues of "P.S. I Love You" and a gossamer reading of "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," which features an exquisite bass solo, speak to the beauty of Holiday's musical soul.
It is in the imaginative deconstruction of Holiday's self-penned "Billie's Blues" and Franz Waxman & Gus Kahn's "Who Wants Love?"where bassist and pianist flip between gnarly improvisation and walking blues figuresthat the duo's bridging of old ways and modern byways is seen in starkest relief.
The spaces between the eleven tracks are threaded with brief field recordings of police sirens, rainfall, car horns and a dog barking in the distancea nod, perhaps to Holiday's beloved canine friends. These sounds provide a noirish ambiance, though one rendered with a light touch.
"Left Alone" closes the set on the bluest of notes. To spare accompaniment, Vogel's rich tenor invests Holiday and Waldron's devastating portrait of hurt, rejection and longing with an aching which Holiday would probably have recognised all too well. It is a fine performance from the vocalist, though somewhat at odds with the album's generally upbeat vibe.
Lewandowski's heartfelt homage to Billie Holiday is full of grace, grit and soulmuch like her incomparable voice. A second volume of such splendid fare would not go amiss.
Track Listing
Day Breaks; More Than You Know; This Year's Kisses; P.S. I Love You; What a Little Moonlight Can Do; Billie's Blues; Some Other Spring; The Still of the Night; Who Wants Love? Left Alone.
Personnel
Mark Lewandowski
bassLiam Noble
pianoAdditional Instrumentation
Heidi Vogel: vocals (6, 11).
Album information
Title: A Bouquet (for Lady Day) | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Ubuntu Music
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