When one is analyzing jazz or jazz-influenced pop, it is important
to know the difference between sweet and saccharine. Lester Young, Jo
Stafford, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, the Ink Spots, and Glenn
Miller were quite capable of sweetness; Kenny G, Najee, and Dave Koz,
on the other hand, have often epitomized saccharine -- they are masters
of artificial sweetness. So where does Emilie-Claire Barlow fit in? The
Canadian jazz vocalist is definitely sweet -- very sweet -- but there
isn't a trace of saccharine on Like a Lover. Barlow brings an enjoyably
girlish charm to this self-produced bop CD, although she isn't a girl.
Born in 1976, she was in her late twenties when Like a Lover came out in
2005 -- and for Barlow, girlish doesn't mean wimpy, thin-voiced, or
unswinging. Barlow has an impressive vocal range, and she definitely
swings -- she swings whether she is favoring high-speed exuberance on
Bob Dorough's "(I've Got) Just About Everything I Need" or getting into
ballad mode on "Blame It on My Youth" and George Gershwin's "Someone to
Watch Over Me." She swings whether she is singing in English (her
primary language) or detouring into Portuguese on Antonio Carlos Jobim's
"So Danço Samba." If Like a Lover has any real weakness, it is the fact
that Barlow is much too standards-minded; she picks too many warhorses
that have been beaten to death over the years. That isn't to say that
Barlow should avoid standards altogether -- only that she needs to find
more great songs that haven't been recorded so often. The more Barlow
broadens her repertoire, the more she will stand out in the crowded
field of jazz singing. But while Like a Lover could have been more
adventurous in its choice of material, it's still a likable and pleasing
effort from the Toronto-born improviser. Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 Like A Lover 5:28
Music By, Lyrics By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Dorival T. Caymmi, Nelson Motta
2 On The Sunny Side Of The Street 6:45
Music By, Lyrics By – Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
3 Someone To Watch Over Me 4:52
Music By, Lyrics By – George & Ira Gershwin
4 A Time For Love 5:13
Music By, Lyrics By – Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster
5 So Danço Samba 4:44
Music By, Lyrics By – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes
Tenor Saxophone – John Johnson
6 The Things We Did Last Summer 5:01
Music By, Lyrics By – Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn
Vocalese – Emilie-Claire Barlow
7 (I've Got) Just About Everything I Need 4:18
Music By, Lyrics By – Bob Dorough
8 Retrato Em Branco E Preto 5:11
Music By, Lyrics By – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Francisco Buarque De Hollanda
9 Our Love Is Here To Stay 4:57
Music By, Lyrics By – George & Ira Gershwin
10 Blame It On My Youth
Music By, Lyrics By – Edward Heyman, Oscar Levant
11 As Long As I Live 2:57
Guitar – Justin Abedin
Music By, Lyrics By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Producer, Keyboards, Programmed By – Daniel Leblanc
12 Like A Lover (Remix) 4:01
Music By, Lyrics By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Dorival T. Caymmi, Nelson Motta
Credits :
Bass – Mark Rogers
Drums – Mark Kelso
Flugelhorn – Guido Basso
Guitar – Rob Piltch
Producer, Arranged By, Voice, Piano, Percussion, Mixed By – Emilie-Claire Barlow
Tenor Saxophone – Kelly Jefferson (tracks: 2, 7)
