Anna Callahan
It's Just The Rain
A voice like Diana Krall, trumpet like Chet Baker, truly original arrangements, All done by the woman herself...
"Rarely have I encountered a musician, male or female, vocalist or instrumentalist, who is as in-control of her music as Anna Callahan. From each clever reharmonization to every in-the-pocket groove, Anna is responsible for it all, and the nuances of her vocal and trumpet performances on this CD back that statement up.
Yet, for all this harmonic and rhythmic innovation she imposes on tunes such as "what'll I do" (given a CRAZY funk workout) or "I've heard this song before" (rendered wistful by the insertion of a minor chord or two), she uses these devices as means to an end; that is, it's never about the clever changes she makes; rather, they are in the service of the mood and her artistic ends. Speaking as a pianist who has shared the bandstand with Anna, I have seen and felt firsthand how she communicates this artistry to her bandmates, as well as to the audience, with intensity, uncompromising integrity, and pure joy.
This is a stunning CD from a truly exciting artist, knowledgable about the history of her music, but unafraid to take it into new territory."
-- Mark Shilansky, pianist, producer, composer; professor at the Berklee College of Music and the University of New Hampshire.
Jazz: Jazz Fusion