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Lyambiko - Lyambiko (Sony
Germany)
Released - February, 2005
On the Berlin trips of the past year, one of my favorite things to do
after work was dig through the bins at the media store across the street
from the hotel. There were some deals to be had there. All of the good
Glenn Miller recordings, for example, on a three-disc set for two euros.
Two discs full of Henry Mancini for four euros. (Goodbye, vinyl!)
And I developed a taste for German Jazz.
This disc was not a bargain - nearly 20 euros; yet, there was something
compelling about the cover, and the playlist contained enough standards to
be within reason.
Well worth every euro-cent.
I'll admit a certain fondness for singers who are obviously performing in
English phonetically. That's not the case here. You can't phrase it like
she does - wonderfully - and not know the language. Like most of the Jazz
I found in Berlin, there's a definite Bossa Nova edge.
Highlights - the first track, "Summer Samba," is very nice; I'm never much
of a fan of scat; yet, this young woman pulls it off nicely on "Love Me Or
Leave Me."
The Portuguese track, "Samba Y Amor," is one of my favorites...truth is,
there's not really a bad track on the disc.
Whoever produced this disc understands a couple of things - one that the
band is there to backup the singer - and two, that it's possible to
showcase a really good group of musicians without them overpowering the
singer. Nicely done!
An international combo backs this alto-voiced young woman - Marque
Lowenthal on piano from the US, Canadian Robin Draganic on Bass; and
German Torsten Zwingenberger on drums. Ms. Lyambiko is of German-African
heritage. The press kit says, "...mother from Thuringia (a German state),
African father from Tanzania."
Another disc by this same group was released in February of this year -
it's titled, "Love...And Then."
It's on order from Amazon. I'm really looking forward to it. But this
disc, "Lyambiko," is highly recommended. I haven't found it anywhere
except at the German Amazon site. If you've got a US account, it
works there, too -
amazon.de.
  Three
and one-half microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(05/07/06) |
