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The Heart Of Infinite Change
Natasha Agrama
Label: Alpha Pup/World Galaxy
Released: 2017
Views: 949
Tracks
Black Narcissus; Goodbye Pork Pie Hat; In A Sentimental Mood; All Matter; I Wonder What Became Of Me; Lover Man; The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men
Personnel
Additional Personnel / Information
Agrama-lead vocals; Tony Austin: drums; Mitchell Long: guitar; Austin Peralta: piano, Rhodes; Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner: bass; Ronald Bruner Jr.: drums; George Duke:piano, Rhodes; Stanley Clarke: bass; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Rusian Sirota: piano; Hadrien Feraud: bass; Doug Webb: sax
Album Description
The Heart Of
Infinite Change 2017
((Alpha Pup/World Galaxy),is an
update of the 2015 album
from songwriter/vocalist {{m:
Natasha Agrama = 49612}}.
Besides a different record label,
the current disc features one
new track "Lover Man" and
deletes 4 others from the earlier
album. Heart 2017
consists of songs with
music and lyrics by Agrama, {{m:
Joni Mitchell = 9460}} and
others. It focuses on
personalized arrangements of
works by Henderson, Mingus,
Ellington, Landesman, and Bilal.
Agrama shows she is a serious
storyteller with diverse tastes
and a well-honed jazzy, bluesy
voice.
Agrama's
vocalizing on {{m: Joe Henderson
= 7574}}'s classic "Black
Narcissus" sensuously floats
above Austin Peralta's keyboard
work. His playing gives Heart
2017 an 80's jazz flavor without
sounding retro. {{m: Duke
Ellington = 6521}}'s "In A
Sentimental Mood" is presented in
a subdued mellow mood with
strings. Heart 2017's
strong contender is
{{m: Charles Mingus = 9429}}'s
"Goodbye Pork Pie Hat."
Agrama's interpretation is a
thought provoking take on the
elegant jazz requiem dedicated to
the influential sax great {{m:
Lester Young = 11573}}.
Combining her expressive
phrasing and additional lyrics with
Mitchell's words, Agrama
provides a historical context and
contemporary prospective on the
Mingus classic.
{{m: Bilal =
50700}}'s "All Matter" relatively
swings with solid support from
talented friends and family. It
features keyboards by the
celebrated {{m: George Duke =
6411}} and bass by her dad,
{{m: Stanley Clarke =
5737}} who performs on three
tracks. The {{m: Johnny Mercer
= 9338}}/ {{m: Harold Arlen =
13398}} selection "I Wonder
What Became Of Me" radiates a
bluesy jazz supper club feel with
Agrama's capable
presentation.
The album closes
with {{Fran Landesman}}'s
melancholic "The Ballad Of The
Sad Young Men," recorded by
{{Roberta Flack}} on her chart
topping 1969 debut "First Take"
(Atlantic Records). Dame
{{Shirley Bassey}}, DBE also
had success with the morose
tune. Agrama's version of
"Ballad," about despondent young
men slowly wasting away
their lives drink by drink, makes
for a chilling cautionary tale.
On The Heart
Of Infinite Change 2017 ,
Natasha Agrama conveys she is
an articulate songwriter and a
surprisingly mature vocalist. The
album's scope of material shows a
growing singer who easily
embraces and incorporates jazz,
blues and other idioms into her
own voice. It all makes for a
promising first effort by the
artist.
Review
- The Heart Of Infinite Change by Walter Atkins
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