In review--Swinging French
Independent/Ben Powell Music
Perhaps it is not too
strange that an English child prodigy-turned jazz player interprets French
gypsy jazz, aka French swing. Violinist
(both classical and jazz), Ben Powell pays tribute to the legendary French
violinist Stéphane Grappelli on his independent recording New Street. However, New Street travels beyond a tribute
album to French swing players, in that Powell honors American jazz legends too
such as Thelonious Monk on Monk 4 Strings
and adds classical music touches, such as the reference to Bach on the end of Judith.
Powell performs with his
quartet (Tadataka Unno on piano, Aaron Darrell on bass and Devin Drobka on
drums) and with a Stéphane Grappelli tribute trio (Gary Burton on vibraphone
and Julian Lage on Guitar) and by including both ensembles, Powell explores
intriguing sonic territory. One
interesting side note, the trio performs Gary
composed by Grappelli for Gary Burton who plays vibes on this version. I imagine that these musicians have musical
stories to share, but in the meantime, check out the opener Judith in which Powell’s violin takes on
Hungarian gypsy strains or the closing track, Piccadilly Stomp, when Powell’s violin goes into full swing.
While Powell certainly
bridges the gap between classical and jazz worlds, his playing at times sounds
restrained to me. Perhaps, this subtle
approach deserves a few more listens so that I soak in musical nuances, such as
the whispering of bow-hairs on the strings, and the silence between the notes. The musicians seem inspired by jazz icons of
the past, but I just wish they would turn it up a few notches. They do on Piccadilly Stomp, as mentioned earlier, and guest vocalist Linda
Calise’s cabaret vocals add charm to Edith Piaf’s La Vie En Rose.
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