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Steve Million featuring Sarah Marie Young: Jazz Words
ByStarting out with "Heavens to Monkitroid" is, perhaps, more than a little deceptive. Million's stridish piano gives way to a flat out mini-swinging small group which recalls early The Manhattan Transfer. Jim Gailloreto's sax and Million's piano bridge the way into a scat chorus and some inspired trading of fours. Very tasty. "Mis'ry Waltz" takes us to church via a soulful blues, "Missing Page" conjures up another Gailloreto solo, getting its verve from shifting metres and the colors of Young's voice. "Hymnal" is aptly named and, by the way, the lyrics of these compositions are thoughtful explorations of the composer's inner world. The story is in the telling, and so is the music. "Nikka's Changes" gives drummer Juan Pastor a chance to solo against a sort of vamp, and he makes the most of it. In "Cold Wind," it is bassist John Sims' turn, with Gailloreto on flute helping to weave an audibly dense texture: "a cold wind blows through a life sometimes restlessly" repeats to the fadeout. It is an effective device. "Loss" and "The Way Home" close out the journey, with an especially melancholy solo by Gailloreto. "The Way Home," by contrast, concludes on an optimistic note.
There is a kind of sustained journey metaphor throughout the lyrics, from a random encounter to a kind of affirmation that emotionally honest people can always find their way through a difficult life. As Hemingway said, "Isn't it pretty to think so?" Music can pose the question, even if it cannot answer it.
Personnel
Steve Million
pianoSarah Marie Young
vocalsJim Gailloreto
saxophoneJohn Sims
bassJuan Pastor
drumsAlbum information
Title: Jazz Words | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Self Produced
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Steve Million
Album Review
Richard J Salvucci
Jazz Words
Self Produced
Sarah Marie Young
Manhattan Transfer
Jim Gailloreto
Juan Pastor
John Sims