Search - Eden Atwood :: This Is Always: Ballad Session

Intimate, Deep, and Immensely Satisfying

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 11/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only reason I can come up with for the omission of Eden Atwood in a recent "Downbeat Magazine" feature story on the new "divas" in jazz (Monheit, Calloway, etc.) is that she's already earned the title. One can only hope it's not because her repertory doesn't cross over into country and folk territory and doesn't feature any "original" material (aka self-indulgent ephemera and meandering recitative). Nor should it be held against her that this is one of the few recent vocal offerings not to include Kenny Barron and Wynton among the accompanists. Not when Bill Cunliffe and Tom Harrell are both on board. And finally, if it takes women-ingenues in silk, satin, and bedroom poses to seduce consumers (and some writers) into exploring the contents of a CD, Eden's "tell it like it is" pose on the front cover should be sufficient warning that this is not an album for the hard of hearing or aesthetically challenged.



Suffice it to say, this is the strongest she's sounded in her 12 or more years of recording. There's not a forced or "covered" note on any of of the performances, and as always her tones communicate with a "double-voiced," sub-toned breathiness that's hers alone, even if Harrell practically matches her with a sound less suggestive of a trumpet than a conversational whisper (I don't believe I've heard even Miles or Chet play more laconically and certainly more honestly).



Cunliffe goes beyond substitution chords to reharmonizations of "Serenata" and "Come Rain or Come Shine" that surprise without subverting the melody and lyric. "Deep Purple" is the metamorphosis of a chestnut into a landscape of passionate hues, and "You Leave Me Breathless" is one of the more exacting descriptions of any vocal performance to affect this listener in recent years.



One small gripe: Every performer, with the exception of Sinatra and Oscar Levant, is guilty of taking "Blame It On My Youth" too seriously at the expense of the song's self-deprecating humor. By slowing down the tempo (even more than Kurt Elling's recent, overly earnest interpretation) and treating the lyric with so much gravitas, the present company contribute to the moroseness that is beginning to weigh down on what was intended as an ironic ode to youthful awkwardness and sophomoric excess (perhaps it helped to know Oscar Levant).



I for one would have preferred to hear Eden breathe some new life into "Old Folks" or, for that matter, remind us that Mr. B's "I Want to Talk About You," despite Coltrane's consecration and later canonization of the melody, was written to be sung. In fact, it would have confirmed that loving satisfaction that distinguishes the other 9 ballads on this rich, stunning, and otherwise "blameless" collection."

Eden atwood plays on and on and on

the debutante | montana | 02/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"to listen to eden atwood you begin to feel something in a grand way. she brings a sense of longing and passion to songs not really enjoyed by the younger set. however, as i myself am in "the younger set", i find ms. atwood to play to the sections of life not filled by today's convention. eden brings understated simplicity to her songs that make one feel as though they too could sing in the haunting way she does.



as a person, eden atwood is down to earth, sincere, generous, and kind. she is a person you want to know. she brings warmth and humor with her in a room and it lingers long after she has departed. she is gracious, yet over the top... beautiful, yet humble... the kind of person that lets herself be who she is without restraint. eden is a wonderful person. everyone should get to know ms. atwood... musically and, if you ever get the opportunity, in person.



"

EDEN HITS HER STRIDE

Mr. Anthony W. Harden | JOONDANNA, PERTH Australia | 01/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With this release Eden Atwood stands up amongst the very best of todays younger jazz singers. A soft and subtle release that still manages to pack a punch just at the right time and exactly where needed, this is her most intimate release to date.



The backing musicians play with much sensitivity, not often the case with many of the latest jazz vocal releases....



Way to go Eden I hope that you continue to push forward with your singing and recording career....."