"Linda finds her groove in Oscar Brown Jr.'s music. Singer hits all the right notes." - DON HECKMAN, LOS ANGELES TIMES
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" [OBJ] was as consummate an actor as he was a singer and songwriter, and it takes as fine an actor as Brown to do proper justice to his songs, particularly one as gutsy as Linda Kosut [who] pays album-length tribute to Brown." - CHRISTOPHER LOUDON, JAZZ TIMES
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"This album is almost like a collaboration. Linda’s voice is definitely one of the stars of the show, yet Oscar’s personality is ever present. She is a singer of great ability. The organic strength of her voice is deftly wielded so that she can handle complicated passages without any dead spaces being created from having to rein back." - MAXWELL CHANDLER, JAZZ REVIEW
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"Linda Kosut has caught the meaning of his work, the profundity and the humour. I have played it on air, and I will play it again. Her voice suits the lyrics and the backing charts are very supportive without getting in the way of all the nuances of the words. My congratulations to Linda and the guys, for doing their research and getting this tribute right without just singing the words and playing the notes." - BARRIE WOODEY, "Jazz 4A Sunday Night" CHRW 94.9FM
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"Kosut's deft handling of the variety of material that’s here - from dark and bluesy to lighter material shows the many facets not only of Mr. Brown’s work - but her own talent. The transitions are seamless, and her way with a lyric makes Mr. Brown’s words come alive." - DOUG BOYNTON, GIRL SINGERS
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"... a new female jazz singer who commands one’s attention ... a vocal performance which deserves mention" - SCOTT YANOW, LA JAZZ SCENE
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(San Francisco) In her newly released CD, Long as You’re Living, singer Linda Kosut brings the music, lyrics and spirit of singer/song writer Oscar Brown, Jr., wonderfully to life. Following the acclaimed stage tribute to Brown’s music that Kosut has been performing for the past year, Long as You’re Living is a heartfelt and wholly enjoyable expression of the admiration Kosut has felt for the iconic African American musician since she first heard his music in the early 60s when still in her teens.
Dramatic, whimsical, bluesy and swinging in turn, the deeply talented Kosut applies a deft touch to Brown’s compositions, and brings the kind of fire you’d expect from a musician offering up an homage born of a life-long musical love affair with the work of a legendary artist. Her deep, mellifluous voice is strong and agile enough to carry the emotional weight of Brown’s most compelling lyrics, yet she treads nimbly, foregoing over-dramatic flourishes in favor of subtlety. The results are satisfying in the extreme.
Kosut begins with “A Tree and Me,” quickly establishing her evocative vocal authority through this contemplative number about time and mortality. But next, a quick flash of van Wageningan’s brushes jumps us off into the devilish fun of “Mr. Kicks” that gives Perkoff a chance to romp at the keyboards and Kosut a chance to snap and swing. The sly naughtiness of “Hazel’s Hips” serves up a saucy blues that lets Perkoff unpack his trombone for a down home solo.
But perhaps Kosut is at her best here interpreting some of Brown’s most thought-provoking lyrics. Listen, for example, to her rendering of Brown’s rarely heard lyrics to “‘Round Midnight.” Instead of a lament for lost love, Brown’s lyrics to the famous tune conjures the aching uncertainty of the darkness from which each new day is born. And listen, as well, to the plaintive call for community of “Brother, Where are You?” Kosut’s reading lets us feel the plight of a lonely soul searching vainly it seems, for comfort and aid.
Oscar Brown, Jr., of course, was one of the most distinctive artistic interpreters of the Black experience during the tumultuous 1960s. As a musician, lyricist, poet, playwright and teacher, Brown was a singular, entirely uncompromising presence, and an artist who adeptly reflected the troubles and aspirations of his community in a manner that still resonates mightily. Brown passed away in 2005, shy of his 80th birthday.
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Personnel: Max Perkoff, piano & trombone; Tom Shader, bass; Paul van Wageningen, percussion
Producers: Maye Cavallaro & Linda Kosut
Engineer: Gary Mankin, San Francisco
Recorded: Mesa Recording, Sebastopol
Mixed/mastered: Knob & Tube, San Francisco
For more information about Linda Kosut, her music, and Long as You’re Living, her CD and performance tribute to Oscar Brown, Jr., please contact Jizel Music at info @ jizelmusic.com
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