In the current jazz scene, there are a countless number of talented female jazz-oriented singers, as opposed to just a handful of male jazz singers. The New York-based Gabrielle Stravelli should not be lost in the crowd for she has an alluring voice, is a fine improviser, and has a real feel for swing. While her earlier recordings include some of her original songs along with a few familiar numbers (Dream Ago) and jazz versions of Willie Nelson songs (Pick Up My Pieces), Beautiful Moons Ago features her mostly performing swinging jazz standards.
Because Beautiful Moons Ago has the singer showcased in an intimate setting with pianist Michael Kanan and bassist Pat O’Leary, one might expect that Gabrielle Stravelli would be emphasizing ballads and slower tempos but the opposite is true. The opener, “Did I Remember,” is taken a bit faster than Billie Holiday sang it in the late 1930s and Ms. Stravelli improvises once the melody is stated.
On most of these songs she sticks to the lyrics while altering the notes and her phrasing, resulting in maximum swinging. She plays around with the melody a bit on a medium-tempo “June Night,” swings hard on a cooking version of “You Say You Care,” and is joyfully optimistic during “So Far So Good.” Other highlights include a fine original co-written with Kanan (“Messin’ Around”) and revivals of such songs as “With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair,” “They All Laughed,” and Cy Coleman’s “I Walk A Little Faster.” Michael Kanan provides tasteful accompaniment and concise solos while Pat O’Leary’s steady walking bass gives the trio a solid foundation.
Beautiful Moons Ago serves as an excellent introduction to the vocal artistry of Gabrielle Stravelli.
Beautiful Moons Ago
Gabrielle Stravelli
Big Modern Music 003
www.gabriellestravelli.com
Since 1975 Scott Yanow has been a regular reviewer of albums in many jazz styles. He has written for many jazz and arts magazines, including JazzTimes, Jazziz, Down Beat, Cadence, CODA, and the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, and was the jazz editor for Record Review. He has written an in-depth biography on Dizzy Gillespie for AllMusic.com. He has authored 11 books on jazz, over 900 liner notes for CDs and over 20,000 reviews of jazz recordings.
Yanow was a contributor to and co-editor of the third edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz. He continues to write for Downbeat, Jazziz, the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, the Jazz Rag, the New York City Jazz Record and other publications.
