Search - Sheila Jordan, Harvie Swartz :: Very Thought of Two

I'M GIVIN' THIS 10 STARS & WHO'S TO STOP ME!?!?!!?

Noah Young | Chatsworth, CA United States | 10/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I admit i'm biased. I am very, very tired of seeing so-called female "jazz" singers on cd/dvd covers coming off more like lingerie models and pin-up queens than someone with the soul and passion to sing, as openly, lovingly and hauntingly, as Ms. Sheila Jordan does, a cappella, at the beginning of "You Are My Sunshine." Sheila lives and breathes jazz. She has remained as true to her muse as any person i know in the field. I doubt she would've ever bought the (record) company line if they'd attempted to use her inner and outer beauty and have her pose in some kind of ridiculously sleezy manner on any of her covers. Back in the 70's, in new york city, i used to play acoustic bass, and somehow, God directed me to Sheila during a phase in which she was very willing to sing "outside" stuff in addition to what she's always done. I was in awe of someone with her history and training being so open and flexible to try other things. One group I led in those days, The Inner Peace Ensemble (with vibist Karl Berger, clarinetist Perry Robinson,etc.) featured Sheila singing and chanting various Indian style compositions and she fell right into it like she'd been a classically trained singer from Bengal all her life! Such was and is the miracle of jazz singing known as Sheila Jordan!! All the tunes on this album are spectacular in one way or another-some in several ways simultaneously! I met bassist Harvey Swartz when I was playing bass with vocalist Chris Connor and he was playing with the Steve Kuhn Trio. I really liked his bass playing a lot from the very start. Harvey has a brilliant ear and in the role he plays here, which can truly "expose" you, he is all ears and all fingers, providing Sheila's astral yet earthy voice just the harmonic comfort zone it requires. this is a meeting of two souls; one's a singer, the other an acoustic bassist. and yet it is so, so, so much more than that. Just listen........(my name as a bassist in the old days back in new york city, was richard youngstein)"