Thirsty Ghost
Jazz
| Sep 2019
Reviews
Tom McCarter
Reviewed 2019-10-26
Reviewed 2019-10-26
Reviewed: 2019-10-25
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: On this, her sixth album, vocalist Gazarek chronicles her reactions to several tragedies in her life. This has resulted in a broadening and deepening of her art. She sings here with a new-found power and earnestness and draws her repertoire from a wide array of sources including Stevie Wonder, Nick Drake and her own writing. The music on the set includes funky fusion tracks, acoustic ballads and hybrids of differing styles, but always with her unique vocal style.
If You Like: Jane Monheit, Laurie Anderson, Laura Nyro
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Lonely Hours (5:59) – piano starts> midtempo song swings uptempo> sax solo> jam fades> slow song builds to midtempo with elongated vocal> builds in volume> quick stop
**2/ Never Will I Marry (3:49) – baas starts> uptempo jam> uptempo song swells in volume> scat solo> Rhodes solo> uptempo song> slows to fade
*3/ I’m Not The Only One (4:49) – Rhodes starts slow> slow song> chorus joins> vocal soar> midtempo song> sax solo> midtempo song with chorus> fade
*4/ Easy Love (4:20) – piano starts sharp> midtempo bluesy song> chorus joins> piano solo> midtempo song> fade
***5/ I Get Along Without You Very Well (5:44) – piano starts slow> slow song slow builds in intensity, then mellows, & builds again> piano solo> slow song builds in intensity & fades
6/ I Believe When I Fall In Love (5:44) – piano starts> midtempo song with chorus> slowly builds to uptempo> sax solo> uptempo song with chorus> vocals soar> crescendo end
7/ Jolene (4:35) – piano starts> uptempo song> vocal soars> piano solo> uptempo song> crescendo> uptempo song> crescendo end
8/ Gaslight District (5:30) – piano/bass & chorus start> midtempo song> builds to a crescendo & mellows> piano solo> strong midtempo song mellows, then swings back up again> mellows to fade
**9/ The River/ River Man (7:01) – horns start> slow song> slowly slides & builds to midtempo> Rhodes solo> midtempo song swells in volume & mellows> fade
10/ Intro: Chrysalis (0:33) – short Rhodes/bass duet
***11/ Cocoon (5:44) – bass starts> slow song with elongated vocal slowly builds to midtempo> crescendo on vocal> Rhodes/sax/vocal intersect to fade
*12/ Distant Storm (6:14) – vocal starts> slow song> pause> midtempo song> sax solo swings up> guest Kurt Elling joins on midtempo song> pause> midtempo song> pause> slow song> quick fade
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: On this, her sixth album, vocalist Gazarek chronicles her reactions to several tragedies in her life. This has resulted in a broadening and deepening of her art. She sings here with a new-found power and earnestness and draws her repertoire from a wide array of sources including Stevie Wonder, Nick Drake and her own writing. The music on the set includes funky fusion tracks, acoustic ballads and hybrids of differing styles, but always with her unique vocal style.
If You Like: Jane Monheit, Laurie Anderson, Laura Nyro
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Lonely Hours (5:59) – piano starts> midtempo song swings uptempo> sax solo> jam fades> slow song builds to midtempo with elongated vocal> builds in volume> quick stop
**2/ Never Will I Marry (3:49) – baas starts> uptempo jam> uptempo song swells in volume> scat solo> Rhodes solo> uptempo song> slows to fade
*3/ I’m Not The Only One (4:49) – Rhodes starts slow> slow song> chorus joins> vocal soar> midtempo song> sax solo> midtempo song with chorus> fade
*4/ Easy Love (4:20) – piano starts sharp> midtempo bluesy song> chorus joins> piano solo> midtempo song> fade
***5/ I Get Along Without You Very Well (5:44) – piano starts slow> slow song slow builds in intensity, then mellows, & builds again> piano solo> slow song builds in intensity & fades
6/ I Believe When I Fall In Love (5:44) – piano starts> midtempo song with chorus> slowly builds to uptempo> sax solo> uptempo song with chorus> vocals soar> crescendo end
7/ Jolene (4:35) – piano starts> uptempo song> vocal soars> piano solo> uptempo song> crescendo> uptempo song> crescendo end
8/ Gaslight District (5:30) – piano/bass & chorus start> midtempo song> builds to a crescendo & mellows> piano solo> strong midtempo song mellows, then swings back up again> mellows to fade
**9/ The River/ River Man (7:01) – horns start> slow song> slowly slides & builds to midtempo> Rhodes solo> midtempo song swells in volume & mellows> fade
10/ Intro: Chrysalis (0:33) – short Rhodes/bass duet
***11/ Cocoon (5:44) – bass starts> slow song with elongated vocal slowly builds to midtempo> crescendo on vocal> Rhodes/sax/vocal intersect to fade
*12/ Distant Storm (6:14) – vocal starts> slow song> pause> midtempo song> sax solo swings up> guest Kurt Elling joins on midtempo song> pause> midtempo song> pause> slow song> quick fade
Recent airplay
Easy Love
Music Casserole — Jul 19, 2025
Distant Storm
Music Casserole — Feb 01, 2020
Gaslight District
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Jan 21, 2020
I'm Not The Only One
Everything — Jan 20, 2020
The River/ River Man
Music Casserole — Jan 18, 2020
Cocoon
Traditions — Jan 17, 2020
Charting
2019-11-20 — 2020-01-22
Jazz
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Jan 26 | 2 |
| Jan 19 | 3 |
| Jan 5 | 1 |
| Dec 22 | 1 |
| Dec 15 | 1 |
| Dec 8 | 2 |
| Dec 1 | 1 |
| Nov 24 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Lonely Hours | ||
| 2. | Never Will I Marry | ||
| 3. | I'm Not The Only One | ||
| 4. | Easy Love | ||
| 5. | I Get Around Without You Very Much | ||
| 6. | I Believe When I Fall In Love | ||
| 7. | Jolene | ||
| 8. | Gaslight District | ||
| 9. | The River/ River Man | ||
| 10. | Intro: Chrysalis | ||
| 11. | Cocoon | ||
| 12. | Distant Storm |