Music Review | Akiko Pavolkas House of Illusion

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Akiko Pavolkas House of Illusion

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October 2002 Jazz Blues Other

Written by Joe Hartlaub

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Artist: Akiko Pavolkas House of Illusion
Title: Bridge
Label: Self - Released

<h4>Akiko Pavolkas House of Illusion</h4>

Someone said recently that jazz, while flourishing as an art, is dying as a business. This, regrettably, is true. There are any number of talented young jazz instrumentalists out there who are struggling to earn a living. The problem is radio. Jazz on commercial radio is for the most part limited to a solitary weekly program. Without airplay, it's extremely difficult for a musician to get any exposure. As a result the average listener's idea of contemporary jazz is limited to Diana Krall or Kenny G, neither of which, arguably, is jazz.

Which brings us to Akiko Pavolka. Pavolka is a smoky vocalist and electric pianist who out of nowhere has released BRIDGE, which in one fell swoop is in serious contention for one of the most interesting, and serious, jazz releases of the past year. Pavolka's House of Passion walks the boundary between bop and free form, somehow swirling in and out and around Pavolka's vocals, but augmenting her instead of getting in the way. I'm reminded in some ways of a star-crossed Stevie Wonder project of a couple of decades ago, Syreeta's "Black Maybe." Wonder's project, however, never realized its full potential, a fact immediately evident when listening to tracks such as "Chickering" on BRIDGE. And the poignant "Last Train," with Pavolka's vocals at once dueting and dueling with Peter Hess's sax, demonstrates in just a few minutes what Joni Mitchell was trying to do when she forsook pop for jazz some three decades ago. "Tadpole," an atonal mood poem, is a bit more sedate than most of BRIDGE, with Pavolka's scat lyric floating over piano, bass and brushed drums with Hess's sax eventually soaring over all.

BRIDGE might well be the most interesting project of this type since Kudu's a year or two ago. Pavolka has assembled an incredibly talented group of musicians with a fine sensitivity to what she is doing and where she is going. The result is an intriguing and challenging work which is interesting and surprising through continued and repeated listenings. BRIDGE is a perfect illustration of what jazz is, and what it can be.

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