New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Heigh Ho, dear lovely tribe, welcome back to Top40-Charts' CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Top40ers go on the record ABOUT the record.
This week's album entry comes from a true diva, a lady who has sung the blues, the jazz, and the Motown rhythms here in NYC and points east, west, north, and south for a lot of years, the Jazz Matchmaker herself, Ms.
Grace Garland, whose latest album LADY G!'S BRALESS SECLUSION hit the steams way back in April, so it is late in putting his ears to this gem… and a gem it is.
Grace has graced stages, clubs, and recording booths with her prodigious talents as an actress/singer/songwriter for a lot of years now, including creating the role of Tryshia Off-The-Broadway in Brochu & Schalchlin's THE LAST SESSION, the show that introduced this writer to the lady's powerful belting alto. Each holiday season her hit tune SINGLE MINGLE JINGLE is all the rage in the clubs of NYC. With this new album, GG leans into all of her musical talents to create an eclectic collection of original songs for which she co-produced and co-wrote the words and music. With her first cut, right out of the gate, what you get is fast-paced, hard-driving jazz motivation for life with lyrics that admonish us to "Get up, get dressed, get cute, and get outta the house!" The niftiest sound with this song is her own voice doubling in echos and harmonies. While The Lady G! is the Exec Producer, and the Co-writer/Co-Producer on ALL of the tracks - other writers include Tommy Biondi,
Peter Purpurra,
Robin Radus, and the wonder himself, Stevie Wonder, which brings us to GG's take on PART TIME LOVER...
For this album, this is the strongest mix, a definite crossroads, if you will, of Grace's very polished jazz and blues facets. Her deep alto is alternately melodic and growling, always sexy, and filled with, well… sex, really. The interpolation of her own jazz chorus that pops in after Stevie's "If I'm with friends…" verse 2 is silky and naughty in its repetition of the beat and lyrics, "somethin' on the side" (repeat, repeat), & "me & you, you and me" (repeat, repeat) followed by a cool Improv piano break is oh-so-jazz and oh-so-bluesy, all at once. Then there is THEN I'LL CRY which, interestingly, in the recording of the song, seems to sneak up on you, right at the top. Softly but suddenly, we hear her vocals as though they are in progress, as if we walked into the room where she was already singing about the one that has made her cry. This is in the aftermath of a breakup, as she declares I'll cry later if this hurts… but only then, if then if at all, but I am never giving you the satisfaction, and I'm keeping my dignity until I am alone kind of song.
The inclusion of the explicit spoken word monologue DON'T PISS IT OFF was a fun surprise. Recorded live, one gets to hear an audience's shock, awe, and laughter at this brash piece of comic advice. We won't spoil it by saying what "The IT" is because NO SPOILERS, but, also, we don't want the BroadwayWorld Gods Of Olympus to come after our tail. Garland's opener "BUT YOU DO GOTTA" just received a Global
Music Award • Bronze Medal in Jazz, and the fast tempo, hard-driving jazz number is an accurate metaphor of motivation for life - something at which
Grace (if you follow her socials) is a master.
Finally, there is little fave cut of the album, THIFF IN THE NIGHT (Unplugged). This untouched recording is so raw and real, and such a beautiful sad ballad of love that's walked away. Grace's voice has all the drama of the actress that she is, but we did say real, too. This song, this performance, is musicians sitting with friends, perhaps in a living room, just singing it out together = ALL TRUTH and we loved it.
In the aftermath of hearing LADY G!'S BRALESS SECLUSION, we had no choice but to drop that metaphysical needle back at the beginning and listen to it again, immediately. Garland's music runs back and forth from our time to the 70s, and back again, in its sounds and style. This blending of jazz, R&B, soul, and a touch of funk will continually remind you of music you have heard, while innovating in ways that will surprise and delight. Fans of jazz should love it and Fans of Lady G! herself will have even more reasons to be fans, and new fans should investigate the Lady's oeuvre without fail, for we give LADY G!'S BRALESS SECLUSION
5 Out Of 5 - Put this one in your collection and streams today (Available on all digital and streaming platforms)
CREDITS AND THINGS:
LADY G!'s Braless Seclusion
Mastered by: Dave Darlington (GRAMMY Winner)
Executive Producer/Co-Producer:
Grace Garland
Label: JAZZMATCHMAKER
Musicians:
Grace Garland, Jeff Barone, Tommy Biondi, Larry Corban, Evgeny Lebedev, Phil Lewis (GRAMMY Winner),
Peter Purpurra,
Robin Radus
Background Vocals:
Grace Garland, Jackie Miles, Lisa Sherman
Cover Photo:
Philippe Bocquet
Cover Design: Photovision Imaging
