Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Maye Cavallaro & Mimi Fox: Hearts

179

Maye Cavallaro & Mimi Fox: Hearts

By

Sign in to view read count
Maye Cavallaro & Mimi Fox: Hearts
Maye Cavallaro's new album, Hearts, is, to paraphrase Gilbert & Sullivan, "a most ingenious paradox" – in other words, a knotty challenge for a reviewer. To state the problem as clearly as possible, Cavallaro is a very good singer who receives admirable support from guitarist Mimi Fox, percussionist Ian Dogole and multi-reedist Paul McCandless, and I'd like nothing better than to say that the album really knocked me out – but I can't. The fact is, I found much of it less than interesting, even though everyone plays the proper notes while Cavallaro does the best she can to breathe life into the less-than-vibrant enterprise.

What ultimately sinks the ship is Cavallaro's unconventional choice of material. Although one should perhaps give her credit for trying something out of the ordinary, it's simply hard (for me) to get excited about Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue," Jesse Barish's & quot;Hearts," Paul Simon's "Under African Skies," or Buddy Johnson's "Save Your Love for Me.& quot; Horace Silver's "Peace" and Benny Carter/Sammy Cahn's "Only Trust Your Heart" can be safely dropped in the same barrel. Yes, there are three songs by Ellington and another by Rodgers and Hart (not to mention Meredith Willson's poignant "Till There Was You"), but even though Cavallaro gives them her best shot, they are several steps removed from entrancing.

On the other hand, Cavallaro is a splendid singer whose clear contralto is enhanced by flawless diction and solid musical awareness, but even those admirable qualities aren't enough to turn most of these rather ordinary songs into winners. Nor are the best efforts of Fox, Dogole and McCandless. Half of the dozen selections are duets with Fox; McCandless plays English horn on "Hearts," soprano saxophone on "Only Trust Your Heart" and "Spring Is Here," while Dogole brightens the aforementioned "African Skies" with udu and African talking drum.

In sum, a decidedly mixed bag with suitably high marks for performance but a reluctant thumbs down for repertoire. If you can appreciate first-class singing even in the service of largely nondescript lyrics, check it out.

Contact: Redhead Records, P.O. Box 4371, Vallejo, CA 94590. Phone 1-888-805-3841; web site, www.redheadmusic.com ; email [email protected]

Track Listing

Nothin' But the Blues; Peace; Almost Blue; Hearts; I'm Beginning to See the Light; Only Trust Your Heart; Under African Skies; Daydream; Don?t Get Around Much Anymore; Save Your Love for Me; Spring Is Here; Till There Was You (49:13).

Personnel

Maye Cavallaro, vocals; Mimi Fox, guitars; Paul McCandless, reeds; Ian Dogole, percussion.

Album information

Title: Hearts | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Rehead 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.