|
Those familiar with
Leon Redbone for among other things his many Saturday Night Live
appearances know him as much for his hat, dark sunglasses, and
Groucho Marx moustache as his baritone voice. For those
unfamiliar with him, he has a deep resonant voice. If Johnny
Cash and Tony Bennett conceived a son during the intermission of
a vaudeville show, he'd sound remarkably like Leon Redbone.
"Any Time," Redbone's
latest album, is his take on 13 jazz era standards. Reminiscent
somewhat of his 1978 album, "Champagne Charlie,"
another collection of standards, this album is a reverent
reworking of songs in Redbone's unique yet playfully nostalgic
style. Mellow is a good word to describe the mood of the album
as the songs on it are pleasantly lazy and easy to sink into.
Though the songs on the album
come from a wide variety of sources, he covers two Jelly Roll
Morton songs which fits perfectly with the Big Easy jazz scene
I've always pictured his sound emerging from. (Granted he got
his start in Toronto, but I think New Orleans when I listen to
his music.) The first of these, "If You Knew," is
carried as much by Bob Gordon's rolling clarinet playing as
Redbone's vocals.
Another of my favorite tracks on
the album is his deft take on "Louisiana Fairytale," a
song co-written by Dizzy Gillespie. At times the piano on these
tracks has a ragtime feel to it, but in this case the piano, as
with the rest of the backing band, takes on the role of a
jazz-type quartet providing a soft backdrop for the vocals.
Other standouts on the album
include "In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree," in which
Mr. Redbone dusts off his banjo and does some picking,
accompanied by Leonard Pickett's fife, and a wistful cover of
"Moonlight Bay." All the songs on the album are
handled gently and carefully by Redbone and he never seeks to
upstage the original versions of these songs. This is as
mentioned earlier a very mellow, nostalgic album. It is a good
introduction to Mr. Redbone's style and also a fun album for
those who like jazz, ragtime, and/or just a laid back sound.
|
| Artist |
Leon Redbone |
| Title |
Any Time |
| Label |
Blue Thumb Records |
| Reviewer |
Trey Parks |
| Rating |
 |
|
 |
| web site |
www.leonredbone.com |
| win stuff |
 |
|
|
Contents
Home
|
