CD-Aktuell- TUEY CONNELL
October 1st, 2003
October, 2003
Tuey Connell "Under The Influence"
Tuey Connell, the smart jazz singer, guitarist, banjo player and songwriter from Chicago, is everything but a star. He is a well-guarded secret tip. One finds himself only "more under the influence" of this avowed romantic whether heard in concert or with the music from one of his three CDs for Minor Music, in order to succumb to its charm. Urgent and honest his baritone sings of love, desire, wrong and passion. In addition the elegant guitar and swinging banjo and, in the case of the current album, the trio of the pianist Steve Klink and saxophonist Geof Bradfield supremely satisfies. It takes exactly 13 seconds until one is "under the influence" of Tuey Connell with this new album title. That's when he begins to sing. And as soon as his voice hears the refrain of walter Donaldsons and Gus of "Love Me Or Leave Me" one is in Tuey's world. The effect is perhaps, even if only insufficient, compared with a good Scotch in an advanced hour or relaxed in front of fire-place. One feels relaxed and calmed. All becomes well.
"I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine", a song on "Under The Influence" alternates between hope and despair. The refrain is a favorite of this "positively thinking melancholic.". Not without reason it is one of the three beautiful originals which Tuey Connell wrote for this album. "This is my first album on which most of the compositions are not mine", he explained. "For me it is always a great challenge, not to do only my own songs." Taking up with his old Chicago friend and saxophonist of many years Geof Bradfield ("you hear Hank Mobley in his sound?") and his new bandmembers of the Steve Klink Trio. They appeared for a few days in Cologne in "?Wir the jazz Wunderkinder!", captivating the audience with the eleven Songs of "Under The Influence" by a successful mixture from intimacy and improvisation, from tradition and interpretation.
"The title of the CD has to do with all possible influences, under which me and the musicians were during the recording session", Connell means. Both singer and songwriter Tuey Connell stands close to his passionate relationship with the "American Songbook". "goes again and again with Hoagy Carmichael, Kurt Weill, the Gershwins and Cole Porter it around a balance out of melancholy and hope, out of lost and new Liebe." That is noticeable also with the three Connell compositions of the album. Already, because they associate so pleasantly inconspicuously with the eight Songbook standards. "Slowly Now", its "Ballad Selection" for this album, acts for instance of affectionate longing. "Malady", a Bop hit, that according to Tuey of "the Tough of tenor, Sonny Stitt, Jug, Sonny roll in, Joe Henderson or also of Freeman" is affected, treats the dear-miserable Blues.
Some the Songbook classical author of this album took up, as for instance Tuey Connell and its fellow combatants to thought out new arrangements the beautiful Ballade "NO Moon At All", with the Tuey on the banjo, or the pleasantly surprising "Too Close For Comfort" accompanies himself;. Other one, as for instance the Blues "Why You Been of gone so Long" or the gospel hymn "How Sweet It Is", developed in spontaneous roofridge Take versions. "we came to one point, at which we everything, for which there was firm arrangements, taken up hatten", remembers Tuey. "to the recovery we played a few standards. "I Thought About You", "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" and also "Charade", this Henry Mancini Song, from which there is this wonderful version of Johnny Hartman. It was great. Particularly with "Charade" what Steve, Henning and Markus played, pleased me times again so well that me toward end proper the throat zuschnuerte itself, because it was so emotional.
It was simply one of these moments. We were tired and exhausted, in addition, relaxed, peacefully and in conformity with the Musik." Further influences, under which this album developed, are "idolisierten Influences" in the musical sense. In addition singer belongs like evenly Johnny Hartman, Chet Baker, franc Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday "and all anderen&ldquo one; and guitarists such as grant Green and "everything in the post office Bop/Bebop Tradition". Like always, however the largest influence in lives and music of the Tuey Connell is to be felt also on this album clearly. "I am very linear. It concerns to me always particularly love. All the same whether it recent or old, mutual or unreturned, romantic or Platonic, perhaps even philosophical love ist." About which the eleven photographs of "Under The Influence" to be also affected like, one do well to let it affect in all peace itself. Good influence never harms.
TRACK:
1.Love ME Or leave ME
2.I Thought About You
3.No Moon RK universe
4.Malady
5.Why You Been of gone so Long
6.Charade
7.Too CLOSE For Comfort
8.How Sweet It Is
9.Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
10.I Think Its Gonna Work Out Fine
11.Slowly Now
HERE ORDERING
Tuey Connell "Under The Influence" Minor Music/InAkustik
Download PDF version of this review
Back to Press Page
