Devorah Day

Devorah Day/Dominic Duval: Standard

by Florence Wetzel
July 25, 2004

If you think nothing new is happening in the world of jazz vocalists, it's time to listen to Devorah Day. Her 2003 debut, Light of Day (Abaton Book Company), was a revelation, and now she follows up with the equally strong Standard. Day is gifted with a one-of-a-kind voice: her range is astounding, and her phrasing highly original and unexpected. But while Day has great skill, she employs no artifice, and this gives her a powerful authenticity; she has the ...

Devorah Day: Standard

by Derek Taylor
April 15, 2004

Vocalist plus accompanist sessions constitute a small but singular niche in the ever-ballooning CIMP catalog. As with the label’s other projects, these dates have a strong element of risk. Engineer Marc Rusch’s method of recording offers nothing in the way of compensatory tampering for the singer’s voice. What you hear is exactly what was sung or spoken, pure and undiluted.

The “without-a-net" nature of such an arrangement has a surprisingly solid track record. Previous projects by Rosella ...

Devorah Day: Light of Day

by Florence Wetzel
November 14, 2003

Light of Day is an unusual CD, featuring a rare appearance by the great saxophonist Marion Brown. Although vocalist Devorah Day has been around the New York music scene for some years, this 1999 session is her first, and her voice is a revelation. In Brown's liner notes he refers to Day's vocal gymnastics, and the description is apt. Day's voice has tremendous range, from great delicacy to “a bass note that made me jump out of my seat," as ...

Day's Dawning: An Interview with Singer Devorah Day

by Franz A. Matzner
October 6, 2003

Five years after making the original recordings, singer/song writer/conceptualist Devorah Day has finally secured the release of her debut album, Light of Day. Supported by Marion Brown's legendary saxophone playing, as well as the camaraderie and musical skill of the other band members, this stunning exploration of jazz singing reveals what happens when inspiration, honesty, and individuality meet. An uncompromising artist, Ms. Day's personality is almost as intriguing as her music, and it was my privilege to ...

Devorah Day: Light of Day

by Franz A. Matzner
August 25, 2003

In an odd metaphysical sense, the avant-garde always sounds the same. Abstract, startling, disconcerting, slightly opaque, sometimes impenetrable, razor-sharp, and to the right kind of ears, irresistible. All of this characterizes jazz vocalist and songwriter Devorah Day’s debut release, Light of Day. As with anything of this nature, it remains to be seen whether Day has arrived at her present position by traveling jazz singing’s current developmental trajectory at an accelerated pace, or in fact condensed out ...