Internationally acclaimed Canadian Jazz songstress Holly Cole debuts at NativeDSD with the DSD Album “Holly“. One of the defining recordings of her long and celebrated career, this album includes 3 tracks (tracks 2, 5, 9) with her original trio members David Piltch and Aaron Davis who collaborated with her on her very successful ‘Don’t Smoke in Bed’ and ‘Girl Talk’ and recordings made in New York with a whole new band produced by Russ Titelman. Her versatile and distinctive voice, along with her adventurous repertoire is a true delight. (The album Take One by Piltch and Davis is also available at NativeDSD Music).
The New York Sessions, which complete the balance of the album, were produced by Russ Titelman. These tracks feature Holly Cole singing with a formidable group of Jazz musicians including Wycliffe Gordon on Vocals and Trombone, Larry Goldings on Piano and Hammond B3 Organ, Ed Cherry on Guitar, Scott Robinson on Tenor Sax & Cornet, John Johnson on Flute, Ben Street on Bass.
Holly has been transferred from the Original Analog Master to Stereo DSD 256 by Rene Laflamme at 2xHD Mastering. This is a DSD Exclusive, Not Available on SACD release,
Holly Cole writes “When I made this album I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was that I was excited; excited to work with producer Russ Titelman, excited to work at Sear Sound Studio in New York, a wonderful studio I had recorded songs from my “Temptation” recording in and excited to record with a whole new band that Russ Titelman had assembled. It was an interesting experience for me to walk in the studio on day one of recording and meet most of these people for the first time. And then play songs that I basically did not participate in arranging. That’s pretty different for me. I consider arranging to be a substantial part of my identity as a musician. Having less control was challenging. And what I found was that it took me to new places as a singer.
Russ and I both wanted Larry Goldings as the piano player and arranger for the New York sessions. Apart from being an astounding musician he shares my musical aesthetic and is a kindred spirit.
Russ suggested that I do a couple of vocal duets with trombone player/singer Wycliffe Gordon. I haven’t done that many vocal duets before. It can be hard to find the right chemistry musically and personally with another singer. Wycliffe and I fell in from the get go. He’s such a fascinating man and a great singer and trombone player. Singing with him was pure joy.
The sessions in New York were very intensive. That was a great way to work because we all got to know each other personally and musically very quickly. We did few takes and were able to record those precious moments of discovery. That is so important to me. Capturing the spark of musicians connecting with one another and discovering the essence of the song while recording is rare and fantastic. To me this is the greatest joy in improvised music.
When I got home to Toronto I was brimming with ideas and enthusiasm and excited to share these ideas and determined to record several more songs for the record. I love playing with my original Trio members Aaron Davis and David Piltch, piano and bass and along with drummer Davide DiRenzo and John Johnson on horns we recorded three more tracks that made the record. And then we were done, it’s my hope you come to enjoy the fruits of our collective labors as much as we all do, happy listening!”
Holly Cole – Vocals
Larry Goldings – Piano & Hammond B3 Organ
Aaron Davis – Piano and Fender Rhodes
Ed Cherry – Guitar
Wycliffe Gordon – Vocals & Trombone
Scott Robinson – Tenor Sax & Cornet
John Johnson – Flute
Ben Street – Bass
David Piltch – Bass
Justin Faulkner – Drums
David DiRenzo – Drums
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 00:39:35
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | 2XHDRR1101 |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | |
| Artists | Aaron Davis, Ben Street, David DiRenzo, David Piltch, Ed Cherry, Holly Cole, John Johnson, Justin Faulkner, Larry Goldings, Scott Robinson, Wycliffe Gordon |
| Composers | Brown, De Paul, Ellington, Gershwin, Moross, Rodgers, van Heusen |
| Genres | |
| Analog Tape Player | Nagra-T modified with high end tube playback electronics |
| Analog to Digital Converters | Horus and Hapi, Merging Technologies with dCS Vivaldi Clock at DSD 256 |
| Assistant Engineers | Owen Mulholland, Richie Kennon, Grant Valentine (all Tracks except 2,5,9) |
| Mastering Engineer | René Laflamme – Transfer from Analog Master Tape to DSD 256 |
| Microphones | Sennheiser, Neumann |
| Instruments | Bass, Cornet, Fender Rhodes, Flute, Saxophone, Trombone, Drums, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocal |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producers | Russ Titelman (all tracks except 2, 5, 9) and Holly Cole (tracks 2, 5, 9) |
| Recording Engineers | Chris Allen, George Seara, Jimmy Bralower |
| Recording Locations | Sear Sound, NYC, March 12-16, 2016 (Except Tracks 2, 5, 9) and Noble Street Studios, Toronto, May 23-24, 2017 (tracks 2, 5 ,9) |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | Analog |
| Release Date | February 22, 2018 |
Press reviews
Jazz da Gama
While we never really needed another Holly Cole disc to establish her supremacy over vocal music – any vocal music, but let’s say music in the Jazz style, for now – but we will always welcome another disc if only to be mesmerized by her smoky and sometimes gravelly, and always alluring way with words. So here’s Holly; just that disc to remind us that where once there was only the fire and brimstone of youth, now much of that has been melted in with the well-honed values of wisdom and experience. And that’s just another way of reiterating that while nothing has been lost after thirty years of paying her dues, much has been added to her iridescent vocalists.
Holly comes five years after Miss Cole last graced the studio and in her re-entry into that haloed space couldn’t have been more auspicious. First there is Russ Titelman in the Producer’s Chair, but more importantly Miss Cole is in absolutely top form. The album features beautifully crafted arrangements of mesmeric variety and sensuousness, and each is sung gloriously, with spacy allure, in every lovingly caressed phrase – including two songs: “I Was Doing All Right” and “If I Could Write a Book” with the prodigiously gifted Wycliffe Gordon. Mr. Gordon phrases like Pops reborn and leans into Miss Cole the way The Great One leaned into Ella, and Babs… which is something that Miss Cole clearly cherishes as she shines brightly.
But Miss Cole oozes quality on every chart. Her chosen material judiciously focuses on a mixture of standards and some lesser-known gems including one from Mose Allison: “Your Mind is on Vacation” – listen to how she seductively bends notes here melding them in with Aaron Davis’ radiant Fender Rhodes. Then there is “It Could Happen to You”, a beautiful duet feature with Larry Goldings, who appears again on Hammond B3 as Miss Cole inventively sculpts the long and languid inventions of “Lazy Afternoon”. Meanwhile on “I Was Doing All Right”, “We’ve Got a World That Swings” and “”They Can’t Take That Away From Me” she is squaring off with Scott Robinson – heard here in all his sumptuous glory on tenor saxophone and cornet. While John Johnson shines on “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head”…
This is a new Holly Cole in many respects, as the vocalist appears with several (relatively) new musicians, or at least musicians she does not perform with often – such Ben Street and Ed Cherry, Justin Faulkner – but there are familiar faces too. Aaron Davis, David Piltch and Davide DiRenzo also return again and as expected they are in tune with Miss Cole’s artistry and vision as ever. But it is Miss Cole who shines brightest as she displays the breadth and depth of her palette of rusts, greens and golds, and a timbre like expensive raw silk; insightful emotionality, supple facility and overall musicality. Make no mistake: Holly Cole is back and she has much to offer.
The Whole Note
It has been five long years since the jazz-infused, honey-voiced Holly Cole has released an album. Recognized internationally for her unique, sultry performances, the new recording does not disappoint. There has always been a vein of honesty that runs through every note that Cole sings – reflected in her often stripped-down arrangements of engaging and rarely performed material. On this exquisite, self-titled recording, Cole collaborates with genius pianist/keyboardist Larry Goldings. Goldings has notably performed and recorded with such diverse artists as the late jazz guitar legend Jim Hall and iconic popular music artist James Taylor.
Cole produces and contributes to arrangements on the 11 delicious tracks, and her fine collaborators include producer Russ Titelman; Aaron Davis on keyboards; Ed Cherry on guitar; David Piltch and Ben Street on bass; Justin Faulkner and Davide DiRenzo on drums; John Johnson on flute; Scott Robinson on tenor sax and cornet; and Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, who also sings two delicious duets with Cole!
A huge standout is Mose Allison’s Your Mind is on Vacation. Cole’s sassy, ironic interpretation and Davis’ Fender Rhodes solo invoke lost innocence and frustration (of the late 1960s and today). Burke and van Heusen’s It Could Happen to You is presented with a simply stunning piano/vocal arrangement. Set at an unusually slow tempo, Cole deftly wrings every last drop of emotional content from the potent lyric, while Goldings demonstrates how it’s supposed to be done. Teach Me Tonight, is arranged with a big dose of Goldings’ sexy Hammond B3 work – and when Cole sings in her velvety alto “I have lost all fear, my love,” we believe it.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.