Reviewed: 2019-10-20
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: trumpeter & vocalist Skonberg returns with her most powerful disc to date. Both her vocals and trumpet have taken a leap and are on full display. Half the tunes are originals.
If You Like: Freddie Hubbard, Diana Krall, Mary Stallings, Cecile McLorrin Savant
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
**1/ Blackout (5:24) – bass starts, slow tempo song with sultry vocal> vocal sells to crescendo, then mellows> then builds in strength> trumpet solo> midtempo song> vocal soars> fade
**2/ So Is The Day (6:10) – vocal starts with bass accompaniment> slow song> full band kicks in behind trumpet solo> piano solo> slow song> vocal soars> long crescendo & fade
***3/ Blackbird Fantasy (4:37) – piano starts> soaring acapella vocal joins in clever Beatles/Ellington mashup> midtempo song morphs into strutting rocking jam with trumpet out front> uptempo song> crescendo end
*4/ Square One (4:08) – organ/guitar starts> slow gospel-like song> guitar solo> midtempo song> fade
**5/ Villain Vanguard (4:40) – piano starts slow, swings into uptempo jam with trumpet up front> swings to fast tempo> crescendo> slows to slow tempo jam> slowly builds into heavy off-kilter midtempo jam, then swings uptempo> crescendo end
6/ Bang Bang (4:40) – guitar starts> slow tempo song builds to midtempo> orchestra joins, builds to crescendo> trumpet solo> suptempo jam with drums up front> uptempo song> crescendo & fade
*7/ What Now (4:36) – piano starts> mellow midtempo song slowly builds in volume> sax solo> midtempo song with soaring vocal> slows to fade
**8/ I Want To Break Free (7:07) – bass starts fast> fast tempo funky jam with trumpet out front swells to crescendo> sizzling trumpet solo> organ solo> sax solo> drum solo> uptempo jam> quick stop