Georgia Mancio - Silhouette (2012)

Tracklist

01. Sihouette
02. Question the Answer
03. Solace
04. Take It With Me
05. Just in Time
06. Slowly
07. TransOceanica
08. Modinha
09. Slice
10. Finisterre
11. Sihouette 2

Silhouette, the third album by award-winning singer, Georgia Mancio, marks the end of her first decade as a professional performer and the beginning of her next as an accomplished writer and interpreter. Beginnings and endings; roads and journeys - both literal and metaphorical-; losses and gains are the recurring themes in this collection of 10 songs - 7 of which are written/co-written by Mancio. Brought up bi-lingual in an Italian household, Mancio has always been fascinated by language and languages and excelled at English. Her talent for lyric writing, hinted at on the title track to her 2003 debut album, Peaceful Place, and in her new English translation of the Cuban classic, Tres Palabras, on the acclaimed 2008 release, Trapeze, now beats at the heart of Silhouette with startling maturity. Mirroring her performance style, Mancio's writing achieves that enviable combination of simplicity and strength: there are no wasted words, no hackneyed rhymes - this is a writer with something to say. Themes are refreshingly sophisticated: the modern day homage to Buddy Can You Spare a Dime? for our own 1929 (Finisterre); the South American road to ruin or salvation depending on your political point of view (TransOceanica); the old man (inspired by Citizen Kane) looking back at the end of his life (Silhouette); the sardonic swipe at religion and politics in the authorised lyric to Pat Metheny's Question and Answer now appropriately renamed Question The Answer. Into this mix are: a joyously intricate arrangement of the jazz standard, Just in Time; the heart-wrenching, near classical beauty of Antonio Carlos Jobim's, Modinha and a hauntingly sparse bass and cello treatment of Tom Waits', Take it with Me. Silhouette is an album of collaborations with - as Mancio describes it - colleagues who became friends and friends who became colleagues. Since the formation of Mancio's band in 2005, drummer Dave Ohm, has had an increasingly important role to play as arranger (My Heart Stood Still, Never Will I Marry, Just in Time, Finisterre) and M.D as well as co-producer on both Trapeze and Silhouette. The writing and playing partnership of Mancio and pianist Tim Lapthorn began in 2001 with the latter's appearance and title song contribution on Peaceful Place. Their synergy is apparent on their four classy originals here: Solace, Slowly, TransOceanica and Slice. The breathtaking Silhouette is a composition from the acclaimed pianist and composer, Kate Williams, from her album The Embrace. Long-standing band members Gareth Lockrane (flutes) and John Pearce (piano), who both appeared on Trapeze, are joined by bassist, Julie Walkington, who made an indelible impression touring with Mancio over the last two years. There are guest appearances by Australian guitarist, Dave Colton; cellist Gregor Riddell and not least the prodigious multi award-winning vocalist, Ian Shaw, with whom Mancio has performed in a duo partnership and other collaborations. Above all, Silhouette, is the portrait of an artist who has both arrived and is still travelling. Appearances with Bobby McFerrin (2009 Meltdown and 2003 London Jazz Festival), Sheila Jordan and David Linx (Belgium 2006), Frank Griffith Nonet, Liane Carroll, Bobby Wellins and Norma Winstone and Anita Wardell (The True Jazz Voice 2008); a first prize win at the 2005 Brussels International Young Jazz Singers’ Competition; 4 star live reviews from both The Standard and The Guardian and numerous sell-out performance dates and tours in the UK, Poland, Italy, Portugal and Belgium, have all now firmly established Georgia Mancio as one of the most important new talents on the current British and European jazz scenes.

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