CARMEN LUNDY - Jazz and the New Songbook - Live at the Madrid Theatre L.A.

Carmen Lundy - Jazz and the New Songbook: Live at the Madrid Theatre L.A.

Recorded February 18, 2005

Vocalist Carmen Lundy stands virtually alone today at the top of her profession as a jazz singer who throughout her illustrious thirty year career has composed a considerable portion of the words and music that make up her remarkable repertoire. On Jazz and the New Songbook the seasoned singer/songwriter showcases her vibrant voice and considerable compositional capabilities on a double cd (and live concert DVD recorded in HD) comprised completely of her own works. Recorded live in concert at Los Angeles' Madrid Theater, Lundy is joined by an all-star cast of musicians, many of whom have contributed to the success of her previous six studio sessions. The veteran vocalist's arrangements leave lots of room for the stellar players, Billy Childs, Robert Glasper, David Roitstein, Curtis Lundy, Kenny Davis, Nathan East, Victor Lewis, Man/in "Smitty" Smith, Mayra Casales, Bobby Watson, Mark Shim, Steve Turre, Phil Upchurch, Krystal Davis Williams, and the LA String Quartet, to share the spotlight with her distinctive vocals on this valuable documentation of a very special evening.
Lundy begins the concert with an upbeat version of "In Love Again," shining brightly on this optimistic ode to romance (the opener from her 2003 release Something To Bel/eve In), accompanied ably by pianist Billy Childs, bassist brother Curtis Lundy, drummer Victor Lewis, percussionist Mayra Casales, guitarist Phil Upchurch and the horn section of altoist/arranger Bobby Watson, tenor saxophonist Mark Shim and trombonist Steve Turre. Carmen shows off her range and rhythm, swinging hard, high and low, integrating her voice into an egalitarian group sound in a manner at times reminiscent of the late great Betty Carter.
"One More River To Cross," co-composed by Lundy and Deborah Ash, is dramatically introduced by Billy Childs' orchestral piano and Steve Turre's signature conch shell sounds. The rhythm section, augmented by Robert Glasper's keyboards and Kenny Davis' electric bass (with Man/in "Smitty" Smith replacing Victor Lewis) enters eerily, creating an exotic soulful atmosphere over which Lundy softly intones her words before interpolating Langston Hughes' powerful poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", into the piece. First heard on her album This Is Carmen Lundy, this live rendition is a landmark in African-American concert music.
On the gospel-tinged "Something To Believe In" the rhythm section, featuring Glasper at the piano, Davis and Nathan East on electric basses and Lewis, Smith and Casales on drums and percussion, is joined by the LA String Quartet, providing a lush background to Lundy's emotional vocal. Carmen convincingly conveys the spirituality inherent in the soul stirring words to the song that served as the title track to her last cd.
"Better Days," originally heard on the leader's 1994 Self Portrait album, opens with Curtis Lundy laying down an alluring bass line, anchored by Victor Lewis' drums and nicely complemented by David Roitstein's keyboards, Upchurch's guitar and the string quartet. Carmen reaches high into her upper register to lend an almost childlike eagerness to her uplifting lyric, simply summed up by the lines "Everyday will be much sweeter than the day before/All you have to do is keep on holding on."
Carmen and Curtis Lundy co-composed "Where'd It Go," a swinging love song that first appeared on the bassist's Against All Odds album. The vocalist demonstrates the full range of her beautiful voice on this one, beginning with her full dark moaning bottom and slowing moving her way up the scale, finishing with some high powered upper register pyrotechnics. Glasper and Watson both have persuasive solos on this winning arrangement that recalls the potent lyricism of the altoist's group Horizon.
"Wild Child," written by Lundy, Julie Raynor and producer Elisabeth Oei is another selection originally from Something To Believe In. Carmen presents a passionate performance, her voice impeccably intertwining with Shim's soprano saxophone to tell her story, accompanied by a "double trio" featuring Robert Glasper. Billy Childs, Curtis Lundy, Nathan East, Victor Lewis and Marvin "Smitty" Smith working in perfect harmony.
The newly composed "Afrasia!" from which the release's label takes its name, is an exotically entrancing composition that opens with a Steve Turre conch shell solo. It combines African rhythms and a melodic chorus (featuring Krystal Davis Williams backed by
the string quartet) that hearkens to the Orient, while invoking the myriad names given to God in many different cultures. The refrain leads into Lundy's appealing lyric that speaks of "the language of love and the spirit of one." A truly unique piece in the jazz canon, "Afrasia!" demonstrates Lundy's individuality and strength as a composer and singer.
"Happy New Year" is Lundy's answer to the question "Why are there a million Christmas songs and only one for New Years?" A quietly festive anthem, it's delivered with a hushed delicacy not unlike Shirley Horn's classic "Here's To Life." Bobby Watson is featured with a moving melancholic alto solo, while Upchurch reinforces the mood with some gently supportive comping.
Disc One ends with another new piece, Lundy's "Long Journey Home," a simple soulful outing (from the Curtis Lundy cd Against All Odds) reminiscent of the sugar man Stanley Turrentine. It features a relaxed emotive Carmen vocal, deep bluesy sax solos by Shim and Watson and swinging surefingered backgrounds from Glasper and Upchurch. The enlightened lyric speaks of letting "love guide the way to a higher place."
Disc Two opens with Lundy's poignant lament, "You're Not In Love," a tortuously exquisite expression of the sad truth surrounding a fading love and the ensuing hurt of heartbreak that was a highlight of the singer's Old Devil Moon album. The moody masterpiece features Steve Turre's lyrical muted trombone nicely complementing Carmen's compelling vocal.
"All Day, All Night" is a sexy, celebratory rocking-good-time anthem from This Is Carmen Lundy. This updated rendition has the singer and the band really wailing - digging deep and rhythmically throwing down the kind of sound that says that they mean to get a raucous rollicking party started.
The cleverly titled "Walking Code Blue" is an ominous portrayal of life in the fast lane with a brutally honest, yet humorous cautionary lyric by Lundy in the tradition of the Crusaders' "Street Life." The spare spacious background provided by Childs' keyboards and Upchurch's guitar recalls early electric Miles, and the two solo with inspired abandon over the expansive rhythmic tapestry woven by Smitty and Mayra.
"Send Me Somebody To Love" (from This Is Carmen Lundy) is a lightheaded Latin-tinged line that Carmen swings lightly over the pulsating sound provided by Glasper's piano and Curtis Lundy's bass over Smitty and Mayra's percussion. The singer engages in a bit of humorous repartee with the audience that's good for more than a couple of laughs. ; i
The LA String Quartet and Upchurch are featured on "Old Friend," a bittersweet piece in a Kind Of Blue kind of mood, capably accompanied by Roitstein's piano, Lundy's bass and Smitty's drums, Carmen taking her time with the loving lyric that she debuted on her Self Portrait album.
"I Dream In Living Color" officially closes the program. The funky number from This Is Carmen Lundymwes straight ahead jazz, Latin, fusion and funk rhythms and features the high flying horn section and exciting drum breaks by Casales and Smitty before Lundy introduces the band and lets them take it out.
The disc is completed with a trio of "bonus tracks" -- excellently rendered "monitor mixes" of three popular Lundy pieces, "Firefly", "Vu Ja De" and "Good Morning Kiss", whose "official" 48-track concert recordings were lost due to a power surge. The live sound on stage of Lundy and her band offers a rare intimate opportunity to hear the artists as they hear themselves while performing.
Listening to Carmen Lundy live is indeed a joyous and moving experience. Seeing and hearing her here, on cd and DVD, performing eighteen of her own compositions in the company of compatible accompanists who help bring the music to life for an appreciative audience is surely the next best thing to being there. Certainly enough to convince any astute listener that amongst the growing number of female vocalists singing jazz today, Carmen Lundy stands out as a truly creative, multitalented artist in a class all her own.

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