BOUTIQUE EASY LISTENING INSTRUMENTALS BY GREENHILL MUSIC
(USA)
When was the last time you paid close attention to a solo
violin, or a piano in concert with a violin? Greenhill music draws your
attention to the simplicity of each instrument easy listening style. This label
does not feature ‘grand orchestras’ or large symphonic set ups. There are
instead Duos, Trios, Quartets, Sextets, Septets and Octets. But these are
arranged so magically that they have the desired effect of taking you from your
sofa or plush chair to a truly beautiful place even though you may be
physically at home, or in an office. One of their most prominent artists
outside the USA is pianist Beegie Adair who deserves a review in her own right.
But in this musical entrée of a review, I’d like to focus on a few unexpected
and very pleasant discoveries. [As this is being written amidst the global
coronavirus pandemic of 2020, I hope this modest review can trigger positive
memories of travelling through music]
BEAUTIFUL STRINGS is a 24 tune compilation of two or more
of violinist David Davidson’s work with the label. For fans of Helmut Zacharias
and the early Franck Pourcel, this is a treat with a twist. Davidson takes what
he calls ‘timeless melodies’ from film and standard popular song books and
gives them his own heartfelt interpretations. The pace is never very fast even
where he takes liberties with the arrangements such as the featuring of partial
bossa nova rhythms on ‘Shadow of Your Smile’ and ‘The Sound of Music’. Instead,
he goes for the big revelation of the romance of long passages played
‘adagio-style’, like in ‘Evergreen’, ‘Lady’, ‘Chances Are’, ‘Summer Me Winter
Me’ and the truly unforgettable ‘The Way We Were’. Disc Two is poignantly
patterned after the candlelight moment, showcasing just piano and violin. To
me, this is a formula that works very enchantingly even though I am not a
complete devotee of pure classical music. This is simply beautiful music!
ITALIAN NIGHTS works its charm by blending musical
instruments like guitar, flute, mandolin, piano and violin to deliver an
evocative mental picture of all things Italian. The delicacy of the cuisine,
the celebration of family, friends and life, and the humanity in the simplest
acts of kindness, and definitely of love, are finely conveyed in
Grammy-nominated David Arkenstone’s arrangements. If you can picture yourself
within the sensational movies CINEMA PARADISO, IL POSTINO, or even the
whimsical THE TOURIST, this album puts you right there. Savour a cup of freshly
brewed coffee in the late afternoon, a slice of pizza straight from a village
oven, and some chianti from the local wineries, and this is the only soundtrack
you’ll need at sundown on a beautiful country plain or by the Amalfi, Ligurian
coasts…now let’s clink to that!
PARISIAN CAFÉ was the album that started it all for my
attraction to Greenhill Music! I heard the track ‘C’est Magnifique’ on an
online jazz channel simply titled ‘French café’ and decided this was the sort
of music that has to accompany a good book or a beautiful sunrise, coffee/tea
moment. And if you’ve visited Paris before and stayed in any one of the many
quaint little hotels tucked in any number of narrow streets leading from L’Tour
Eiffel, you will get that feeling back. The lyricism of Beegie Adair’s piano
and David Davidson’s empathetic fiddle works magic without words. One recalls
through the voicing of the arrangements the glories of Edith Piaf, Maurice
Chevalier, Charles Aznavour and Yves Montand. At the same time, you are
spontaneously memorializing your imagined Paris through the piano-violin duet.
In just under an hour, this incredibly talented duo takes you to the City of
Light and back with enough of a sweet tangy aftertaste to get you through your
day – guaranteed.
In my fourth feature, I’d like to highlight what is
probably a deleted part of the Greenhill catalogue. But if you search eBay, you
can still find it! VINTAGE ROMANCE played by versatile guitarist Jack Jezzro
and the Mason Embry Trio. Never mind if you have never heard them before. Put
this disc on, and you’ll be transported to somewhere balmy, semi-tropical
perhaps, an era where evening dances took place in homes with large patios and
ballrooms featuring trios, quartets, or mini-orchestras performing only for the
assembled guests. A few big names from the 1930s-60s jazz scene come to mind:
Django Reinhardt, Tal Farlow, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green and those from the
same vintage are given a lavish tribute by Jack and Mason. This is an album
arranged for the moments when the bubbly is poured and the lights are dimmed.
But of course, in today’s stressful office moments, you can put on this disc
anytime for an instant trip to moonlight dancing land. Every track is a winner
but my favourites are their refreshing interpretations of Stevie Wonder’s
‘Overjoyed’, the Carpenters hit ‘I Won’t Last a Day without You’ and the more
mainstream ‘It Could Happen to You’, ‘The Very Thought of You’, ‘Tangerine’ and
‘Someone to Watch Over Me’. This collection truly oozes old world charm in
first class stereo sound!
Till the next review, do check out www.greenhillmusic.com for
listening samples, and more! You might even find their prices cheaper than
elsewhere J To
leave you in the happy clouds of musical pleasure here’s another album I am
currently sinking into: Bossa Nova Romance – and listen out for the outstanding
arrangement of that popular Italian melody ‘Senza Fine’ (YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooGE3xemTNo)
– which sums it all up for me…
ALAN
May 2020
