Pavlo Hrytsak
|
All in all, it's difficult to find fault with this album. The trio is very good, as is the singer, whose delivery sounds to these ears somewhat like the male version of the great Blossom Dearie.
All of the participants of the project exercise tasteful restraint. The pianist made me think of Jan Johansson, the Swedish piano great. Nothing is over the top; hence a low-key, tasty and very listenable album.
One of the strongest sides of this release are the songs; in particular the Marcus Goldhaber/Jon Davis originals. It will, of course, take time, to see how well the album ages, but after three listens some of these original songs (In the Ouvre of the In-Between and A Felony Called Love come to mind immediately) sound like they've come straight from the pages of the Great American Songbook. Very good.
Read more...
|
D. Oscar Groomes
|
O's Place Jazz Newsletter
Marcus has a soft warm voice that soothes the listener over seventeen tracks. Jon Davis does an excellent job supporting him on piano along with his trio including Martin Wind (b) and Marcello Pelliteri (d, perc). The program includes classics like "My Ship", "I Get Along Without You Very Well" and "When I Take My Sugar To Tea". Take Me Anywhere also marks the debut of Goldhaber as a songwriter with Davis! Some his best are "I Fall Apart", "Take Me" and "In The Oeuvre Of The In-Between". Jon and Marcus personalize all the songs with cool arrangements. It is a relaxing set.
Read more...
|
Dave Miele
|
Jazz Improv
Marcus Goldhaber’s sophomore release, Take
Me Anywhere, is a delightful collection of tunes that will put a smile on your face. Through a program of originals and standards, Goldhaber sings of love and life with a gentle style that displays a gorgeous and sensitive vocal quality, to say nothing of Goldhaber’s ability to bring out the emotion and passion in a lyric. Light and lyrical enough for a lover of mainstream pop tunes, Take Me Anywhere is tasteful and hip enough to satisfy the jazz aficionado’s educated
ear as well. Goldhaber displays a wide range of influences(his website lists such uncommon bedfellows as Elton John, Jim Morrison, Sarah Vaughan, Chet Baker and Eddie Vedder) that bring a familiarity to his music. Though you’ve never heard his original songs before you may almost feel like you have.
The program begins with “No Moon at All”, a
medium slow swinger. Goldhaber sings with a sweet,
bluesy tone first in duet with bassist Martin Wind
and then with the rest of the Jon Davis trio (which includes Davis on piano and drummer Marcello Pellitteri). His gentle vocal is followed by a particularly melodic bass solo and a flourish from Davis. Goldhaber takes more liberties with the melody on his restatement. The arrangement of “I Get Along Without You Very Well” owes more to the modern pop song than the jazz standard—well it at least owes as much. Set in a modern sounding straight 8th note pop ballad style, it is certainly one of the most original arrangements I’ve heard of this tune. “Take Me” is the first of many tunes written by Goldhaber in partnership with Jon Davis. This tune is set in a pop shuffle style and features an appropriately melancholy harmonica solo by Hendrik Meurkens. “With Plenty of Money and You” is a light-hearted lyric which begins with a rubato interpretation from Goldhaber and Davis in duet before settling into a funky New Orleans
groove.
A string of originals follow. “In the Oeuvre of
the In-Between” is a Latin-flavored tune which features percussion from Pellitteri. It brings Ahmad Jamal to my mind. “A Walk” is a medium-up swinger, notable for both the prosody of the arrangement and the lyrically bowed bass solo. “You’re Beautiful, You Know That” is a gently timid lyric which Goldhaber delivers with just the right blend of taste and shyness.
His vocal approach brings the lyric to life. The dynamics rise for the energetic samba entitled “I Fall Apart”. Goldhaber and Davis render Irving Berlin’s “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” in duet before their next co-written tune “A Felony Called Love” which is a bluesy number with a gentle sense of humor to the lyric. Goldhaber floats his vocal above an ambient mix of sounds from piano and wind chimes on an eclectic rendition of “I Fall in Love Too Easily”.
“She Knows” displays more of that Goldhaber/Davis
pop sensibility with a hint of Latin rhythms and airy, spacious piano chords.
The program continues with “A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening”, a traditionally jazzy medium
swing number. Goldhaber sounds as comfortable
singing in this more “straight ahead” approach as in his original pop-influenced style. “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” is one of the most interactive and dynamic tunes on the disc. Arranged by Jon Davis, the intensity bubbles on this one. “My Ship” is handled as a delicately slow ballad. More Latin flavor seasons “Look for the Silver Lining” which features guest drummer Lieven Venken. The disc closes with a spirited
rendition of “When I Take My Sugar to Tea”.
There’s a lot of music on Take Me Anywhere.
While I do mean that there is a long program list,
that statement also means something else, something which I feel is much more important. There is a wide spectrum of musical influence on this disc. There is a freshness to each track that keeps the CD extremely listenable for over an hour. There’s much to enjoy on Take Me Anywhere.
Read more...
|
Chris Loudon
|
JazzTimes
Terrific! Wonderfully imaginative!
Read more...
|
Jess Cagle
|
PEOPLE Magazine
On a dazzling collection of cool, Jazzy love songs - some of them standards, some new - Goldhaber (with the Jon Davis Trio) will have you giddy one moment, melancholy the next, and loving every note.
Read more...
|
John Book
|
The-Run-Off-Groove
Looking at the new album by Marcus Goldhaber, I wondered if he was influenced by various albums of the 1960's, particularly Columbia Records since the cover art looks somewhat Columbia-ish. Maybe, maybe not, but Goldhaber, along with The Jon Davis Trio (Davis on piano, Marcello Pellitteri on drums, and Martin Wind on bass) are out to make some pretty green vocal jazz with his new album Take Me Anywhere (Fallen Apple).
Goldhaber sounds a bit loungy, but in a good way, his voice does not sound wretched. I think what makes his music work is that it sounds natural, he adds character and it doesn't sound... well, fake. Songs like "My Ship", "Top Hat, White Tie And Tails", and "With Plenty Of Money And You" he shows that these old standards and forgotten classics hold up well because they were all well written. Put them into the hands of someone who can sing very well and you have success, or at least it should lead to that. Goldhaber isn't just an interpreted of successful formulas, he is a songwriter too and in "Take Me", "In The Oeuvre Of The In-Between", and "She Knows" he is someone who is into the art of songsmanship, and you can feel it. He is someone who is of the Harry Connick Jr. tradition, a sense of cool before cool was cool, and again it isn't forced. But maybe that's his appeal, to work it as if it isn't forced, doing his thing gracefully. I wasn't sure if I would like this, thinking he was just a wanna-be lounge lizard but this is not what he's about.
Read more...
|
John Gilbert
|
EJazznews
Marcus Goldhaber lightly approaches each tune and treats it gently, keeping the melody intact. He has a unique vocal quality unlike any of his predecessors. He sticks to slower tempos and caresses each tune with dignity and grace. There are 17 songs on this album and each is a winner. Range and depth are not the forte of this fine singer, he simply sings the song with no histrionics, letting the listener enjoy his euphonious efforts.
Read more...
|
Chris Spector
|
Midwest Record
If you’re going to set yourself up as being the tradition of Frank Sinatra, et al, you better be able to deliver the goods or suffer the slings and arrows. There’s only going to be one Chairman ever, but there’s always room for more Tony Bennetts. Goldhaber has the passion and the smarts to pick the right songs from the era to grab the gold ring. As good as it gets from a young ‘un of today, he does the Sinatra style without killing it with wannabe moves. He’s his own man, he’s got his own sound and there’s no shame in trying to pattern yourself after the best. Contemporary jazz vocal fans have a new rallying point with this cat.
Read more...
|
Lee Prosser
|
JazzReview.com
Marcus Goldhaber has a romantic, ballad voice which fits well with jazz standards. Some of these pleasant songs were composed and written by Marcus Goldhaber and Jon Davis.
There are seventeen songs in the CD collection. Among the songs are "No Moon At All," "I Get Along Without You Very Well," "Take Me," "With Plenty Of Money And You," "I Fall apart," "I Fall In Love Too Easily," "She Knows," "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening," "My Ship," "When I Take My Sugar To Tea," among others.
With a total playing time of 75:11 minutes, the jazz listening audience is in for a treat! The vocals are expressive, and the musicians are in top notch form. The piano performances of Jon Davis are intricate, full of transitional complexity, and sharply etched jazz motifs. Martin Wind is excellent with his bass interpretations, and his sound is memorable. Marcello Pellitterri on drums and percussion adds further style and verve to the performances. The Jon Davis Trio sounds good as a group and with its individual solo performances. All in all, this is a very nice, easy to listen to jazz CD!
Each musician is a perfect accompaniment to the singer, and Marcus Goldhaber delivers in a refreshingly honest, mellow style of singing. Each listener will find their own favorites in this enjoyable collection.
Read more...
|
|
|