Vocalist Judi Silvano has always looked for the most creative atmospheres in which to use her voice, best known for her work with Joe Lovano on Rush Hour a number of years ago, she uses her creative spirit in a variety of settings. This time out, she teams up with Michael Abene on piano, who has a touch himself similar to the dark and deep sounds of Mal Waldron; together the two make a lasting impression.
All of the material is Silvanos, sometimes with lyrics, at other times with wordless vocals. Without words, she can create exotic moods as on the mood tepia toned “Dust’ or the rhythmic Brazilian joys “My Dance” and “Samba 33.” The angular and Monkian “Make it a Classic” has Abene using single notes for the melody and rhythm, while he creates a rich and chocolate texture underneath Silvano’s lyrics on “ Bougainvillea.” His fingers gently rollick like an old time strider without the stride on “Kokopelli’s Dance” and all the while Silvano is both accessible to the ears yet slowly pushing to the outside. The tensile acoustics between the two make for intimate yet vibrant atmospheres.
JSL Records