(Vocal Jazz, Contemporary) Rebecca Martin (feat. Larry Grenadier & Bill McHenry) - When I Was Long Ago {Sunnyside SSC1255, USA} - 2010, FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

"This album features a great singer/songwriter - Rebecca Martin - who never takes the traditional route, even when she approaches songs like these that have been covered so many times before and by so many iconic performers.
Here she has put herself in the unique and quite sparse setting of just voice/bass/saxophone, with a minimalistic approach that is more about singing the song from INSIDE the song, rather than applying pyrotechnics and treating it mainly as an improvisatory vehicle. She reminds me of Johnny Hartman in her approach that way. Rebecca has dug up all the old verses to these songs - verses that were mostly lost or rarely performed when these songs became "standards". It's perhaps not surprising that it took as excellent a songwriter as Rebecca Martin to go back and approach them as SONGS again.
Here her chosen cast is bassist extraordinaire Larry Grenadier, primarily known today for being 1/3 of the Brad Mehldau Trio & co-leader of the trio Fly. But he is also a veteran of Joe Henderson's, Pat Metheny's and Stan Getz's bands (among countless others), and he manages to be an entire rhythm section on this album without ever playing a note too many.
Saxophonist Bill McHenry (who has been performing a lot with Paul Motian lately, as well as is a member of Guillermo Klein's magnificent orchestra Los Guachos), and who, himself, is a man who avoids cliches and overplayed Trane & Wayne licks, and who, therefore, in many ways is closer to Coltrane's spirit or, perhaps, to Lester Young & Ben Webster, in his approach to backing a singer.
Considering, again, the many icons that have sung these songs, and sung them with big bands, string sections or, at the very least, a piano to supply the harmony for the singer, it's a gamble for a singer to attempt versions in as "naked" a format as this. Rebecca Martin pulls it off with complete integrity, originality and considerable charm, and in a way that tells us that jazz-singing doesn't have to be confined to reinterpretation of the past."
Rebecca Martin est une artiste attachante, talentueuse et exigeante. Elle aurait pu suivre le parcours de tant d'autres chanteuses au carrefour d'une pop-folk parfumée de jazz, garantie d'un succès facile... Elle a choisi de s'orienter de plus en plus vers le jazz. Son dernier album sorti l'été dernier outre-Atlantique et qui devrait bientôt débarquer en Europe en est une preuve superbe. Un album, pour l'essentiel de reprises de vieux standards, dans laquelle sa voix est accompagnée uniquement par la contrebasse de Larry Grenadier et le saxophone de Bill McHenry. Un disque assez minimaliste et intimiste donc, mais chargé d'émotions qui vous accompagneront tout au long de l'écoute de l'album
Recommandé! Un grand merci à L4W3rZ, sans qui, vous ne seriez pas en train de lire ce post.

When I Was Long Ago (2010, Sunnyside Records)
As a singer-songwriter, Rebecca Martin enjoys a solid reputation among listeners and within the industry firmly built upon her instantly recognizable voice and numerous albums of original songs. Almost as notable as Martin’s singing and songwriting is her creative way in organizing sessions and live performances with some of the best musicians in music today.
So it’s no surprise that Martin’s last album, The Growing Season (2008, Sunnyside Records) featured notables such as guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Brian Blade. The record garnered high praise and was selected as a critic’s pick in The New York Times. As a result of her unique abilities, Martin was invited to headline a full week at the Village Vanguard in New York City, a rare event, making her the first singer-songwriter to play in the legendary venue in more than 30 years. Most recently, Rebecca gained the attention of the Stanford Jazz Workshop and was invited to spearhead a songwriting program for their 2010 summer season.
But as strong as Martin is at crafting her own songs, her intimate take on standards is as unique. The Guardian commented, “….the young singer, Rebecca Martin, may even come to upstage Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux.” Martin’s eighth recording, with the enchanting title When I Was Long Ago (2010, Sunnyside Records), is a collection of eleven standards recorded in a most refreshing way.
“This particular concept began when I had the opportunity to work with Paul Motian,” Martin says, recalling the genesis of her new recording. “Suggesting that I sing songs without a chordal player was a challenge I couldn’t wait to try.” In November of 2005, while eight months pregnant, Martin had met up with Paul, Chris Potter and Larry Grenadier at Avatar studios in New York City to sing eight of the thirteen songs that would become Motian’s On Broadway Volume 4 or the Paradox of Continuity for Winter & Winter Records. She was the first singer ever to be asked by the drummer to join him on one of his record dates. They followed it up with several weeks at the Village Vanguard as well as a premiere at Carnegie Hall.
“I wanted to do a record of standards in a similar way with my trio that would feature bass and saxophone,” Martin explains. “I approached the music as a songwriter and searched for the first vocal performances of each to assure that the melodies, lyrics and harmony were intact and as close as possible to the author’s original intent. It’s an honor to sing a song that spans 75-plus years. I think of this as an ancestral project. Working with this intention brought new meaning to these old songs.”
When I Was Long Ago is a stellar and adventuresome album filled with classics, including “Lush Life,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” and “But Not For Me” along with some obscure gems such as “Cheer Up Charlie,” “No Moon At All,” and “Kentucky Babe.” The record features tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry (Guillermo Klein / Paul Motian) and bassist Larry Grenadier (The Brad Mehldau Trio / Pat Metheny).
“I have wished to make a record live to two track while implementing older recording techniques which this recording gave me the chance to do,” Rebecca says. “It certainly pushes one to become a better singer and storyteller. There is nothing to hide behind and I like that.”
Recorded by legendary engineer James Farber and made at the Clubhouse Recording Studio in Rhinebeck, New York, everything was in place for the best possible results.