As the last notes fade, I shake myself out of my reverie and hope that it is not another ten years before we have another new release from Ms. Oschlag, but for now this will do very nicely thank you.
Available from Bandcamp
Sara Oschlag (vocals); Mark Edwards (piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, glockenspiel); Arnie Somogyi (double bass & electric bass); Darren Beckett (drums & percussion)
Special guests: Alan Barnes (alto & baritone saxophone, clarinet); Jason Henson (guitar)
It is nearly ten years ago that I reviewed Sara Oschlag’s previous album My Little Boat, and highly impressed I was too, as indeed I am with this latest release. The only constant from the earlier recording is pianist Mark Edwards and once again his presence brings a lot to the table.
However, it is Oschlag who catches the ear and the attention in a set that has had me reaching for the repeat button; not just to hear the whole album again, but also to relisten to a track again because I’m not quite believing what I’ve just heard.
The vocalist has really nailed things down here. The core trio is her primary focus and where she has brought in guest musicians Alan Barnes and Jason Henson, she has made them work for her in bringing her vision of the songs to life.
The first repeat offender, if you’ll pardon the pun, is the very first number ‘Mingus Fingers’ with Sara having written lyrics to the bassist’s composition. The trio swing hard, but that is in order to keep up with the vocalist who swoops through her scat chorus with carefree abandon combined with a complete assurance in how she will resolve her improvisation. Her range is phenomenal, and the intonation and expression spot on, and this is definitely the way to grab your audience’s attention.
A change of tempo is needed after the frenetic pace of the opener and that is delivered with equal style and panache in ‘Lazy Afternoon’. This has been a favourite of mine ever since I heard Tina May sing this on her debut album more than thirty years ago. However, listening to Sara, while it brings back my memories of hearing Tina sing at my local jazz club in Cardiff, I hear the song a fresh with a new voice and way of interpreting the lyrics which have now reaffirmed ‘Lazy Afternoon’ as a ballad that I don’t tire of hearing.
Bringing in the guests, Alan Barnes gets in a fine alto solo on ‘East of the Sun’ (after all, isn’t this what he does best!) and plays some lovely clarinet on ‘I’m Glad There’s You’ which perfectly complements Oschlag’s vocals. Guitarist Jason Henson provides some tasty accompaniment alongside Barnes on ‘Some of my Best Friends are the Blues’, and Edwards switch to organ adds an extra dimension to the arrangement. The two guests also deliver the goods in a swinging ‘The Great City’ with Barnes baritone saxophone providing some wonderful backing and solo, while Henson impresses with his playing which is packed with little details and bags of good taste.
The album plays out with two excellent song choices in a hard swinging ‘The Song Is You’ with a strong delivery of the lyrics from Sara and another cracking alto solo from Alan Barnes, and the finale is a beautiful reading of another Charles Mingus composition ‘Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love’. As the last notes fade, I shake myself out of my reverie and hope that it is not another ten years before we have another new release from Ms. Oschlag, but for now this will do very nicely thank you.
