Trudy Kerr - The House (2016)

Tracklist

01. The House
02. Song of Life
03. Counting Sheep
04. Waltz for Debby
05. The Other Man's Grass
06. Pretty Little Dancer
07. Infant Eyes
08. Forever Green
09. Hold Back the Tears
10. Life in a Bubble
11. I Have Dreamed
12. Crystal Silence
13. How Can I Miss You

'The House' is Trudy Kerr's 13th album on her Jazzizit Label. The album is a collaboration between Trudy and pianist Andrea Vicari. For the past few years they have been performing duo gigs around London and on hearing Andrea's original compositions Trudy was inspired to begin writing lyrics to her beautiful tunes. The album is a change of direction for Trudy. "Stylistically the tunes are more contemporary sounding and were therefore challenging to sing as well as write suitable lyrics to."

Joining them on the album are bassist Geoff Gascoyne and Martin Hathaway playing sax, flute and clarinet. This drummer-less quartet is more chamberlike in quality, the melodies are haunting the arrangements have strong counterpoint lines.

There are six original compositions on the album, four by Andrea and Trudy. The title track "The House" is a piano and voice duet. The lyrics are about Trudy's childhood house in Australia, a photo from the house taken in the 60's appears on the front cover. "The lyric is about how I felt the last time I returned to the house, and how all my childhood memories both good and bad came flooding back to me" says Trudy. "Counting Sheep" is a beautiful but simple song written by Andrea, Trudy has taken a more singer songwriter approach to the lyrics with a repetitive chorus. "Pretty Little Dancer" has a fun township groove and is about Trudy's ballet dancing daughter. "Hold Back the Tears" has a beautiful fluid solo by Andrea and Trudy's lyrics are about her son having to learn lessons in life and begin to stand on his own two feet.

"How can I miss you if you Never Go Away" is a lovely ballad with words and music by Andrea about love and life.

Trudy and Geoff have continued their songwriting partnership with a great song called "Life in a Bubble". A love song about the frailty of love and how it's good to live in the moment.

The other songs on the album have been arranged by Geoff Gascoyne using the instrumentation and reharmonisation to reinvent the songs. "Infant Eyes" by Wayne shorter is in 5/4 and has lovely interplay between Trudy and Martin on the solo. "Waltz for Debby" by Bill Evans has the added extra of Trudy's vocalese written to the Cannonball Alderley solo. The lyrics continues Gene Lee's story of a little girl growing up. Chick Corea's "Crystal Silence" is sad and reflective and Trudy has added some improvised lyrics to the end of the piece. There is an uplifting version of Fred Hersch and Norma Winstone's "Song of Life", "The Other Man's Grass" by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent has been completely rearranged by Geoff and makes the listener hear the lyrics in a new way. "I Have Dreamed" by Roger's and Hammerstein has a beautiful sax solo by Martin and "Forever Green" is a lesser known Jobim tune which also features Ruby Gascoyne and her friend Grace Freeman singing backing vocals.

Trudy says "I really wanted the challenge to sing and write something stylistically new and Andrea's songs were the perfect vehicle. The lyrics I write are about people and places in my life and I hope my honesty will resonate with my audience and perhaps make them reflect on different aspects of their own lives."

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