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| Rising Vocal Star Sophie Milman U.S. Tour  "If Marilyn Monroe's gifts had included first-rate jazz chops, this is precisely the sort of album she would have delivered.Sophie Milman has, across three previous albums, proven herself an intoxicating seductress, and now her steaminess is at full boil. The voice is a shade throatier, her delivery more voluptuous, her naturally warm tone ratcheted up several degrees; all 14 selections like lush fruit, ripe for the picking. Yet never amid such succulence does she lose focus. Whether tracing the quiet contentment of "Till There Was You, " navigating the furtive shadows of "Speak Low, " unfurling the sweet, slightly wanton promise of "Watch What Happens" or riding "Let Me Love You" at a jaunty clip, she hits each emotional core dead center. Befitting an artist assuming her rightful place in the major leagues, producer Matt Pierson surrounds Milman with A-list talent, including pianists Gerald Clayton and Kevin Hays, guitarists Romero Lubambo and Julian Lage, bassist Larry Grenadier, drummer Lewis Nash and percussionist Bashiri Johnson, plus guest soloists Chris Potter (tenor sax), Randy Brecker (flugelhorn) and Gregoire Maret (harmonica) and banks of strings. Their individual and collective contributions are as nectarous as Milman's vocals. The arrangements, variously contributed by Alan Broadbent, Gil Goldstein and Rob Mounsey, are abundant with cleverly accentuating touches, like the Maret-kissed evocation of an intimate Parisian boîte on Serge Gainsbourg's "Ces Petit Riens" and the Potter-led weather patterns of "Detour Ahead, " subtly alternating between sun-dappled and overcast, ideally befitting the lyric's shifting moods.""This is where Milman moves into the big time, with a new label, a stellar set of sidemen (including soloists Randy Brecker, Chris Potter and Julian Lage) and opulent string settings (courtesy ace arranger Alan Broadbent). And yet the Toronto-based singer delivers the goods with such relaxed confidence you'd think she's been there for years. It doesn't hurt that she's great on ballads, smouldering through Watch What Happens and bringing an engaging intimacy to Speak Low. But her tone, luscious and throaty, works just as well on up-tempo tunes like Let Me Love You, creating the illusion of languor no matter how hard she swings. A stunner." **** (4 Stars) --J.D. Considine, Toronto Globe & Mail 2011-12 TOUR DATES November 16 – Regattabar – Boston, MA November 18 – Oasis Club – Garde Arts Center – New London, CT November 20 – Blue Note Brunch – New York, NY November 22 – Blues Alley – Washington, DC November 24 – Blue Note – New York, NY November 26-27 – Dazzle's Jazz Club – Denver, CO November 29-30 – Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA December 4 – Anthology – San Diego, CA December 6-7 – Catalina Jazz Club – Los Angeles, CA 2012 January 27 – Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts, Markham, ON February 4 – Ferst Center – Atlanta, GA February 8 – Amaturo Theater – Fr. Lauderdale, FL April 3-4 – Michigan State Univ. - E. Lansing, MI April 6 – Symphony Space - Detroit, MI April 7 – Jazz Kitchen – Indianapolis, IN April 8 – Northwestern Univ. – Chicago, IL June 1 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON June 2 - Renaissance Chicago – Chicago, IL June 28 – Lakewood Performing Arts Center – Lakewood Co June 30 – Strings Music Festival - Steamboat Springs, CO July 1 – Jazz Aspen - Aspen, CO write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |