Lou Beckerman - Into the Blue (2014)

Tracklist

01. Nature Boy
02. Seven Sisters
03. Skylark
04. Cool Water
05. V' Hi She' Am' Da
06. Baltimore Oriole
07. Into the Blue
08. Song to a Seagull
09. Round Midnight
10. Vocalise



With her improvisational style, instrumental approach to the voice and a soulfulness to her sound Lou has come home to her roots in jazz, falling in love all over again with this endlessly beautiful musical form. Whether scat swing singing or lingering over a leisurely love ballad, the heart of her work has always been a love of music, her passion for jazz and her delight in performing for audiences.

Lou says:
'I have had the honour and pleasure to work with a dream team of brilliant instrumentalists who have contributed in so many ways to the growth of this project. Thanks especially to Terry Pack (bass), Wayne McConnell (piano), Dan Hayman (drums/ percussion) and Simon D'souza (saxes) for their commitment, creativity, support, unstoppable talent and for being such fun to work with throughout this process. Being joined along the way by James McMillan (trumpet/ flugelhorn) then, later, Merlin Shepherd (clarinet) and Ben Sarfas (violin), further developed and enriched this album. Several cauldrons of soup later, and the songs having grown organically, here it is…'

'The songs speak of the elements; of fragility, earth and erosion; and of flight, in an echo of our emotional landscapes. It’s all about space, texture and feeling and letting the performances breathe.'

'I wanted to create a meaningful body of work that would sit together well, and have integrity both in significance and interpretation of the songs. Included are my own compositions and original lyrics penned to a gorgeous piece, Seven Sisters, by bassist Terry Pack. Alongside our band’s collaborative arrangements of standards and my own compositions, there’s a song in Hebrew and one by Rachmaninov (which I’ve sung in the past as a classical piece). There’s a poem by Shelley (To a Skylark) exquisitely interpreted by Simon D’souza on soprano sax and an enduring Joni Mitchell number (Song to a Seagull) that I once sang with my guitar as a teenager. I believe a beautifully composed piece of music can transcend the style in which it is written and I think bringing these songs into the jazz arena has worked.’

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