Shawn Colvin
Live
Nonesuch Records
www.nonesuch.com

Christina Courtin
Christina Courtin
Nonesuch Records
www.nonesuch.com
By George W. Harris

Shawn Colvin and Christina Courtin, while not strictly “jazz” singers,
are vocalists who have something to say, and are able to write a good
tune in the process.

Colvin has been a veteran of the “new” folk movement for awhile. This
disc covers her 3 night gig at the jazz club Yoshi’s, and she gives an
unadorned, unpretentious set, letting the music, the words and her
voice work on their own terms. She’s a gifted songwriter, with songs
like “Tennessee” and “Nothing Like You” penetrating your thought
patterns. She has a gentle sway to her delivery that is comfortable,
and never cloying. This no frills, from the heart music is what I was
really into before I got the jazz bug, and it’s great to revisit an old
friend.

Christina Courtin, on this debut disc at least, has joined into what I
call the QGS-the Quirky Girl Singers. We’ve got Sia, Anjulie, even
Madeleine Peyroux-ladies that we’re sort of quiet and into themselves
in your English class, a bit on the artsy side, and you wonder what
will ever become of them. Well, they’ve all become jazz singers!

Courtin has an innocent charm about her on this release, with Quixotic
tunes like “Green Jay” and “Hedonistic Paradise” arranged with an
attitude like, “let’s bring this instrument in and see what happens.”
Her lyrics are disarmingly clever, as in “February” and “Foreign
Country” while her delivery can be penetrating. Her delivery on the
brooding and string laden “Unzipped” is haunting; she waits until the
absolute last moment before delivering her lyrics. Thoughtful and
thought provoking.