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Simone
Kopmajer -
Romance (Zoho)
Released: Upcoming, May, 2005
Piano, Bass, Drum, Tenor Sax.
And a girl singer. My idea of perfection.
So. To the list of young ones to watch - with Clare Teal and Renee Olstead,
we'll add Simone Kopmajer. That's COP-myer. Write it down. She's 23, and
she's going to be around for a long time.
The image that comes to mind is that by fronting the band, she's actually
framing them. It takes confidence to pull that off. And it's quite a
frame.
So let's talk first about the sidemen. Eric Alexander on sax, Tim Horner
on Drums, George Mraz on Bass, and arrangements by John di Martino on
Piano. They're very, very good. The parts fit well, and technically, the
mixes by David Darlington and producer Todd Barkan are just right.
But Ms. Kopmajer is the frosting on this cake.
Ms. Kopmajer's style is understated, dreamy, sensual, even with tunes
you'd think would swing. She's able to pull it off with ease. Standout
tracks include "A Blossom Fell," the Nat King Cole classic; and Duke
Ellington's "Squeeze Me."
A reversal on "The Way You Look Tonight," with an arrangement that plays
against tradition, and swings nicely. She perhaps could have cranked it up
a notch on that one, but I'm quibbling.
A quick Internet search indicates that Ms. Kopmajer has been paying her
dues, mostly in small clubs in Florida. This young woman's background
(daughter of a family of Austrian musicians) demonstrates that she's a
real student of the genre.
The old marketing saw says - always leave them wanting more.
This disc doesn't sound like a girl singer with a band slapped on.
She's not "with" the band. She's one of them. She makes them look very
good, and vice-versa.
You'll play this one a lot.
And you'll want more.
Three microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(03/05/05) |
