Spotlight On Jazz
Lucky Mojo Blues
This recording is the 13th album by Simone Kopmajer, an Austrian born vocalist, who has developed an international reputation. Kopmajer is accompanied by tenor-saxophonist Terry Myers, guitarist Martin Spitzer, pianist Paul Urbanek, bassist Karl Sayer, and drummer Reinhardt Winkler. The songs include six standards and seven originals (by Kopmajer, Myers and Urbanek).
Kopmajer impresses listeners with her vocals clarity, her musicality, the purity of her tone, her phrasing and her clean diction. It also helps to have a solid swinging band handle a variety of material that includes a swinging "Pennies From Heaven," and a delicate rendition of "Poinciana." Other songs includethe is a second-line strut on "Struttin' With Some Barbecue." Drummer Winkler struts onhis solo while clarinetist Meyers is superb in his accompaniment and solo. Kopmajer is quite charming on "Exactly Like You" with a gentle vocal and playful scatting. Myers again is heard on clarinet.
Myers' tenor sax is marvelous on the swinging "Stompin' at the Savoy," and displays considerable warmth on "A Gift From Buddy," a ballad Kopmajer and Myers wrote. The swinging "We're Goin' In," has strong guitar from Spitzer and terrific piano by Urbanek. The playful, mostly wordless, singing on "Dig That Riff," is also heard as a remixed bonus track. Simone Kopmajer and her marvelous band deserve kudos from an engaging and charming vocal jazz recording.
I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 383), although I have made minor changes. Here is a video of he performing.
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