The modern aesthetic age seeks satisfaction through the senses, physical beauty, erotic excitement, through success in any of its guises. And in the world of music there are a lot of guises – hip hop, rap, rock, pop, teen-bop, bee-bop, classical, avant-garde, etc. Plus others never
imagined. Then there’s jazz, which stands by itself over in the corner, where it sways and grooves in a solipsistic world. Coooool!
Sophie Milman is a jazz artiste. Which is a fancy way of saying she sings jazz. Her latest effort is called Take Love Easy. Which is a very appropriate title, because it’s easy to take this album and love it. For her choice of songs proves the analogous esthetic doctrine: the tighter the discipline of an art form, the more subjective the criteria of taste. Combining Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell seems a tad bizarre. Until you hear it. Man oh man, does it work. Especially with a voice as incandescent as Sophie’s.
With a centripetal group consisting of guitarist Rob Pitch, bassist Kieran Overs, drummer Mark McLean and P.J. Perry on soprano sax, the music is rocket tight with just a hint of irascibility. The way good jazz should be.
And Sophie – well, Sophie knows how to take care of business. Her voice should be registered as a deadly weapon. It slices, dices, chops, cuts, swirls and curls. A Vocal Veg-O-Matic married to an AK-47. Pop! Zow! Wow! One second her tone is impulsive and reckless, the next second it’s a droll contrivance that oozes into the listener’s ears, wooing and cooing with incredible virtuosity. It’s the aural equivalent of eating cotton-candy and riding the Ferris Wheel on a sultry August evening as fireworks explode overhead. Pure indulgence.
The album has a number of highlights, but the best might be “Be Cool,” which is a Joni Mitchell tune. Or maybe it’s “Day In, Day Out,” a little ditty with a dirty bossa nova beat. Or maybe…
‘Nuff said,' said the boy with a twinkle in his eye.
On the Listen-O-Meter, which ranges from 1 to 10, with 10 being the absolute best Take Love Easy is easily an 11. Go ahead and take it. It’s easy to love.