Melbreeze I Love Paris

Melbreeze - "I Love Paris" -  Blue Canoe Records

Born in Turkey but now residing in Los Angeles, vocalist Melbreeze has collaborated with Bill Cunliffe Big Band, Jimmy Haslip, and Alan Pasqua. She has also collaborated with Scott Kinsey for several years, including two recent albums. "I Love Paris" is the first co-produced album between the two, with Kinsey handling the keyboards and Trilian bass. Other notable persons playing on this set included Tim Hagans on trumpet, guitarists Yotam Silverstein, Josh Smith and Pedro Martins, Doug Webb on tenor sax, and Gary Novak on drums.

Melbreeze sings in a sultry, evocative manner, half-spoken at times and at other times sung with a soft purr, like a cottony Eartha Kitt. Kinsey has surrounded her usually with atmospheric settings that suggest some of these performances would fit in on a film noir. An unusual halting rhythm and Hagans' haunting trumpet provide the ambiance for "Autumn Leaves." It is an introduction to an unusual repertoire of mostly standards. Brad Dutz's marimba and percussion, along with Hagans' electrified muted trumpet, lend a distinctive tone to her sorrowful singing on "I Fall in Love Too Easily." There is a unique arrangement to her elucidation of Oscar Brown's lyrics to Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere." 

With train sounds in the opening, there is a touch of nostalgia in her rendition of "Sentimental Journey" with Webb's tenor sax solo. Her vocal includes a mash-up with a Turkish children's game song. On "Don't Explain," her restrained speak-song vocal is framed by Dutz's percussion with Silverstein's nuanced guitar solo. She engages in some storytelling on the title track, which is followed by a smokey rendition of "My Funny Valentine" with Josh Smith's blues-inflected guitar solo. Then there is the Joey Heatherton-like flirty sexiness of the performance of "What Lola Wants," with Hagans' trumpet adding musical color.

Melbreeze has produced an entertaining and intriguing recording with considerable charm.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Melbreeze singing "What Lola Wants."

Angelo Divino Love A To Z

Angelo Divino
Love A To Z

A veteran of the jazz and cabaret scene which included performing with the Duke Ellington Legacy Band, write and perform in a show devoted to the Ellington legacy and later did the same with respect to the Frank Sinatra legacy. In the Los Angeles he began an association with the very fine Barbara Morrison. The present album has all original songs from Z Overall that relate to the many facets of love. Backing Divino here are Rich Eames on piano and keyboards; Adrian Rosen on bass; Michael Rosen on drums and harmonica; Doug Webb on saxophone; and Jonathan Dane on trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn.

While I am not enamored with the songs, I do find plenty in charm with Divino's singing. His relaxed delivery, intonation, pitch, phrasing and the clarity of his enunciation have an engaging quality as does the backing band. Webb's tenor on the opening "Hey Life," while pianist Eames shines in his light accompaniment on the lament, "About Last Night," with Dane's lovely flugelhorn solo. There is the playful "Fun and Games," and his plaintive vocal on "Strangers Again" with Dane's fine muted trumpet. Other songs include the amusing, and buoyant "Flying Saucers," with Eames featured on keyboards, and another wistful song, "I Love You, Goodbye," the lovely reflective "I Remember" with Michael Rosen's atmospheric harmonica, and "Love Is a Place To Stay," with a light, Brazilian groove.

There is much to enjoy here in Divino's warm, relaxed singing and the solid, supportive backing Angelo Divino receives. The only fault I might point to are (what I find to be) uninspiring originals, that he so ably performs. He is a singer that I hope to hear from again. 

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378), although I made a few minor changes. Here is a video he made to accompany "Flying Saucers."