Angela Hagenbach

Poetry of Love

Amazon Records ARCD 2822

Angela Hagenbach, vocals and percussion; Doug Auwarter, drums and percussion; Jake Blanton, acoustic and electric guitar; Don Braden, tenor saxophone; Cecil Brooks III, drums; Dyane Burno, bass; Rod Fleeman, guitar; Jimmy Heath, tenor saxophone; Gary Helm, percussion; Russell Malone, guitar; Steve Rigazzi, acoustic and electric bass; Paul Smith, piano; Clark Terry, trumpet and mumbles; Roger Wilder, piano, synthesizer and fender Rhodes; James Williams, piano

Brazilian singer Angela Hagenbach rings the changes on this attractive set; she is from a musical family, and was herself a trombone player for seven years (though this does not show). Her voice can be cool, breathless or sultry, her best work here is the setting of poems to music; Phyllis Becker's "Dark Dreams" is set to a strongly emphasized Afro-Cuban beat, and "You Keep Calling Me" has been set to an afoxe rhythm, common to Brazil, which is very upbeat. Lyricist Mark Schroer's poems, "End of Drought" and Bittersweet", have been fused into one piece called "Bittersweet", set to a bossa-nova rhythm this evocative piece is cleverly metered. "Blues Are Brewin'", featuring trumpet player Clark Terry and the guitar of Russell Malone, is a fine presentation, and Cole Porter's, "I've Got You Under My Skin", is a pleasure. There is plenty of color and change to enjoy here, a good CD.

by Ferdinand Maylin


Copyright Jazz Now, April 2004 issue, all rights reserved

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