Lady Blackbird is Marley Munroe. Before this week, I hadn't heard of either name. But a suggestion from our friend Randy led me to her new debut, "Black Acid Soul" and now I am passing this gift on to you.
The liner notes refer to Munroe as the "Grace Jones of jazz." Okay, if you say so. But that's only a small part of it. Maybe. This record is stunning. I am hearing Nina Simone, Odetta and Ann Peebles. Lady Blackbird covers Miss Simone, as well as Allen Toussaint, Tim Hardin and THE JAMES GANG! But the absolute highlight is the beautifully haunting "Fix It," which features original lyrics put to the Bill Evans standard "Peace Piece," and it is the track Randy highlighted in his suggestion.
It would be lazy to call "Black Acid Soul" a jazz vocal album and dishonest to not. I just don't want a label to keep you from listening.
Thanks Randy.
Check out "Black Acid Soul." You won't be sorry.
6 comments:
Thanks Sal and Randy. These tracks are wonderful. Looking forward to hearing them on my stereo instead of this PC.
- Paul in DK
Excellent! Also, hearing her version of "Lost And Looking" prompted me to pull out maybe Sam Cooke's best album, Night Beat.
I get an early Roberta Flack vibe.
Enjoyed very much! A little haunting--love it. I continued listening and in one of the comments on YouTube somebody wrote "Who Amy Winehouse should have grown up to be".
Sorry I'm so slow! Life gets in the way. It took me two listens for whatever reason -- funny how you can just not be receptive because of your mood, the time of day, what you ate for lunch, etc. It happens but I usually know when it's me and not the music and the music needs another listen when my mind is cleared of the first impression. And on a second listen I went from "that's interesting" to "Wow!" Very Nina Simone, of course (and Roberta Flack and yes Night Beat is an awesome album by Sam Cooke fellow commenters). Lady Blackbird will be on my best of the year list and the only bummer was realizing she's not touring the US right now so I can't urge friends to go check her out.
"funny how you can just not be receptive because of your mood, the time of day, what you ate for lunch, etc."
There was a running joke at NYCD about how I'd come around to albums, so I can relate.
"So I was carving a baked ham and I really enjoyed..."
"So I was kayaking down the Salt River and (insert album) really hit me."
"So I was reading my electric bill and..."
You get the idea. Tony would say these things whenever a record finally hit me.
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