Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Rachelle Ferrell: Individually (Can I Be Me?)

239

Rachelle Ferrell: Individually (Can I Be Me?)

By

Sign in to view read count
Rachelle Ferrell: Individually (Can I Be Me?)
While her album entertains with a pleasant groove and a variety of electronic textures, Rachelle Ferrell shares only about half her true talent with the audience. Preferring instead to cover the session with background vocals, droning hip-hop rhythms and movie soundtrack effects, she weaves an acrobatic voice around originals that offer stories of romance and other personal relationships. Her extended vocal range allows the singer to perform difficult passages with ease. A natural blues and gospel sentiment pours forth effortlessly. When she sings "I Forgive You," her convincing message digs deeply into the listener's heart. All the extra sound textures, however, do get in the way. It's like trying to propose marriage in a crowded train station.

Ferrell's own piano accompaniment provides the singer a mechanism for total immersion. Moaning and emoting with charged, wordless shouts, she screams, "Why You Wanna Mess it all Up?" Her emotional highs are quite effective. Coming at you right and left with full power, Ferrell provides a convincing argument. Employing both loud strategy and soft come-ons, she's effective at explaining her position. As an interpreter, Ferrell has few peers. The album's high point comes on its final track, when her accompaniment is pared down to piano, bass, drums and guitar. Ferrell's voice is then allowed to shine brightly over a modest arrangement. Duets with Jonathan Butler and her brother, Russ Barnes, add a measurable lift to this third album from Rachelle Ferrell. However, with so much going on, the true appreciation of her superb vocal talents becomes an unwanted test of the listener's ability to focus.

Track Listing

Individuality (Can I Be Me?); Sista; Will You Remember Me?; I Forgive You; I Gotta Go; Why You Wanna Mess It All Up?; Gaia; Run To Me; Reflections of My Heart; Satisfied; I Can Explain.

Personnel

Rachelle Ferrell- vocal, piano, Roland A-90, morpheus; George Duke- keyboards, keyboard bass, guitars, drum programming; Jef Lee Johnson- guitars, keyboards, bass; Byron Miller- bass; Lil

Album information

Title: Individually (Can I Be Me?) | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Capitol Records

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.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.