review

The Glamorous Grit of Old Hollywood

by Deborah E on June 15, 2011

Greetings,

Mike Davis, of Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion, provided this wonderful unsolicited review of Albumette

Artist: Deborah E
Album: Albumette
Review by Mike Davis, Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion

Some time ago, a friend’s father spoke of his love for jazz and blues and the vibrant scene in Los Angeles of musicians and clubs that livened and delighted his nights off. When I listen to the Albumette EP from Deborah E, I get a sense as to what those nights must have felt like and the possibility still gleaming in the nooks and crannies of the city. The five-song effort wastes no moment setting a scene and tone for the listener to be enveloped in. It drips with notions of small corner stages in smoky, cocktail soaked lounges and the glamorous grit of old Hollywood, while maintaining an indefinable essence that imbues the songs with contemporary relevance and vivacity beyond mere nostalgia. Deborah E, or Lady D as referenced by admirers, possesses in her voice an instrument bound by no clear limits. It is sultry, dynamic, gripping, and above all else full of grace. Whether crooning to classics tackled by the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, and Roberta Flack, or bringing all new compositions to life, Lady D has a distinctive flair that draws you in to consider her offerings with only her rendition in mind. Albumette is a beautiful collection of jazz and blues colored songs that hits every note, melancholic and jubilant, with precision and elegance.

Track 1: Black Coffee – Penned in the 1940s, “Black Coffee” naturally sounds the most classic and evocative of some distant and beautiful time. However, Deborah E pumps newly oxygenated blood into its arteries and resuscitates its heart here and now the way Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and many others did in their time. Her voice slinks along over the orchestration like indigo silk, making for a swooning and sexy interpretation.

Get YOUR copy of Albumette @ iTunes or Amazon.

Track 4: Perfectly Wonderful World – One of three new original songs exclusive to Albumette, “Perfectly Wonderful World” sounds like a standard that could have been a staple in any songstresses set in the 30s or 40s, yet Lady D makes it all her own. Her voice flows languid and delicate over sparkling piano sweeps and fine jazzy guitar lines. A song that sets a high bar for what will surely attract others in attempting to recapture its magic.

Albumette is a beautiful collection of jazz and blues colored songs that hits every note, melancholic and jubilant, with precision and elegance.

Track 5: Only Temporary – Another original composed by Denny Martin & Jaimee Paul for Deborah E, “Only Temporary” is the sassy and blazing close to Albumette. It is a tenacious blues number laden with overdriven guitar licks, jiving B3 organ, and saxophone lines that sound like strained impulsive bolts from the throat of some possessed bluesman. A humorous ode to the passing anxieties and darkness of life fully lived.

Review by Mike Davis
Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion

Deborah E

Deborah E is a smooth and sultry summer night on Bourbon Street… Classy with a dash of sass… Proof that the jazz greats have not been sacrificed to processed pop. ladyD.info. For more information, including other blogs, visit her main site at deborah.info.

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…Whatever Song She Chooses To Conquer…

by Deborah E on May 25, 2011

Good morning,

Ms. O’Neil describes the versatility of talent on Albumette, including the exceptional band mates and recording engineers! Read more, below:

Artist: Deborah E
Album: Albumette
Review by Kelly O’Neil

Lots of stereotypes surround redheads, including that they are sassy, snobby and will steal your boyfriend. Whether or not those trivialities hold true, what can be said about one particular Los Angeles-based redhead is that she commands attention. Deborah E possesses an incredible deep-throated voice that obeys whatever direction she tells it to go. Her singing style is captivating and mature without losing itself in a quandary of sentimental emotions

Heralding not only jazz but Broadway and soul influences, Lady D, as she is affectionately called, exhibits a wide array of equally enrapturing vocal styles.

Heralding not only jazz but Broadway and soul influences, Lady D, as she is affectionately called, exhibits a wide array of equally enrapturing vocal styles. She opens her EP Albumette with Paul Francis Webster and Sonny Burke’s standard “Black Coffee,” scantily crawling around in her lower register. Each syllable is as rich and dark as the title suggests. Every vocal turn is impeccably smooth, perfectly timed and expertly handled.

Deborah performs a credible cover of the unassuming masterpiece “Killing Me Softly,” first done by Roberta Flack and later by The Fugees. The tempo may be a hair too fast, but the well-known ballad plays out predictably. Deborah sings more upright and straight than in the jazz numbers where her voice is covered in a mysterious sultry shroud. The acoustic guitar player adds wonderful embellishments from the line “Strumming my pain with his fingers,” to the tasteful bridge solo over subtle strings. “Perfectly Wonderful World” opens with a nice piano and string duet. Deborah is singing at her highest and most crystalline yet in this happy ballad. The first half of the bridge loses energy with her soprano musings that are scarcely heard above the instruments. In the second half the piano comes to the fore with a droll tinkling solo with light drum and string accompaniment.

A dynamic aspect of Albumette is the recording quality. With a slight echo resounding from the vocals it sounds as if the album were recorded live and thus inviting a more intimate aural experience for the listener. “Just Say When” adds to this quality with its perky upbeat vibe. The song is in a higher vocal range resulting in clearer enunciation. Deborah has collaborated with a phenomenal group of musicians, notably the saxophonist in this tune. His tone is not obnoxiously bright, and not too mellow either, creating a nice blend with the vocals. The extended coda featuring a dialogue between the saxophone and the organ is a treat worth mentioning.

The big production number and grand finale to Albumette is “Only Temporary.” This rocking number has empowering vocal breaks between heavy downbeats as Deborah mockingly sings tongue-in-cheek about her cruddy job and crummy boyfriend but then positively belts out that both of these misfortunes are “only temporary.” The walking blues line in the bridge is the perfect backdrop for an awesome growling saxophone duet giving way to the thrilling electric guitar. The song remains surprisingly upbeat despite, “Sometimes this life may get a little scary / But it’s only temporary.” It is a fantastic sentiment coupled with an infectious groove. The saxophone leads into a formidable jam that begins in the same call and response as the opening. Then he cuts loose running up and down the full range of the horn, even jumping effortlessly into the altissimo range. The electric guitar joins in with a slight overdrive effect taking the song out.

Deborah has an awesome vocal range and easily wraps her voice around whatever song she chooses to conquer.

Lady D and her band mates are exceptionally talented musicians and have chosen a fantastic collection of songs to best showcase their gifts on Albumette. Deborah has an awesome vocal range and easily wraps her voice around whatever song she chooses to conquer.

Review by Kelly O’Neil

Deborah E

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Cyndi Lauper : Memphis Blues

by Deborah E on May 12, 2011

Good morning,

Today I am thinking about an album by Cyndi Lauper. No, it is not the traditional Cyndi Lauper, as in her album, “The Essential Cyndi Lauper.” Rather, it is the album, “Memphis Blues.”

Memphis Blues 2010 album from the Pop diva, a traditional Memphis Blues album featuring guest appearances from Jonny Lang, B.B. King and others. After more than 20 sterling years and global record sales in excess of 25 million, Cyndi Lauper has proven that she has the heart and soul to keep her legion of fans compelled by her every creative move. With her first album She's So Unusual, Cyndi won a Grammy award for Best New Artist and became the first female artist in history to have five Top 10 singles from a …
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I have to admit, at first, I was not impressed. (Sorry, Cyndi.) I did not feel she had “the feel” for blues. I thought, yeah, another crossover… But, then, as I listened more and more, I grew to be more and more fond of the music. When I got to a point that I “craved” another listen to her album I realized that maybe I had misjudged it.

What is the definition of “feel” and who am I to determine who has it and who does not have it?

The instrumentation on this album is wonderful. I hear a Billie Holiday influence throughout the album. On “How Blue Can You Get?” I can hear Cyndi’s vocal stylings, as she interprets the Blues. Can’t help but groove to the classic “Early In the Morning.” “Crossroads” shows how Cyndi can stretch that interpretation, and yet keep with the Cyndi musical expression blended into this new genre.

Ok, maybe I still really enjoy Cyndi in true “Cyndi Lauper style,” but this album? Well, I’m up for another spin. Take a listen, for yourself:

Deborah E

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“Perfectly in sync…”

by Deborah E on January 26, 2011

Good morning,

Just wanted to share a recent review of Albumette with my wonderful friends and fans. Here it is:

Artist: Deborah E
Album Title: Albumette
Review by Nick DeRiso

Deborah E brings a tough-minded attitude to Albumette, but don’t equate this jumping, jazzy five-song EP with your typical tell-off. Instead, she blends a spicy pair of originals with two tried-and-true ballads before sailing off into a pleasant reverie.

A sultry take on Donny Burke and Paul Francis Webster’s “Black Coffee” opens Albumette, with Deborah exhaling the familiar lines from a lonely lover like a long-awaited smoke. It’s an ambitious choice, considering the song has been covered by everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to k.d. lang to the Pointer Sisters. But, with the help of her sinewy backing group and a gentle caress of the lyric, Deborah pulls it off. This talented group can swing through the chorus, propelled by a bawdy turn by Heinrich, only to slow all the way down for a late-night saloon sway.

Deborah is at her take-no-guff best on “Just Say When,” co-written by guitarist Denny Martin, Jaimee Paul and Alan O’Day. As her quippy rhythm section heats up to a rumbling boil, “Stop wasting that big old moon; wake up and smell the perfume!,” Deborah wails, while saxophonist John Heinrich hits a fat note. “Just say when, if you want to be more than friends.” Haughty and direct, she struts alongside drummer William Ellis, upright bassist Dow Tomlin and Hammond B3 player Gene Rabbai like Aimee Mann working a neon-lit Bourbon Street dive. Similarly, Deborah pushes back, and hard, on Martin and Paul’s “Only Temporary.” This ribald, rocking blues cut begins by channeling a downtrodden worker’s lament. “Want to tell him to stick this job where the sun don’t shine,” Deborah growls. Same goes for her good-for-nothing man, who spends more time on the couch watching Dr. Phil than he does trying to secure a new paycheck. When her dog bites the neighbor, it’s almost more than Deborah’s character can bear. “Seems like there’s nothing left to lose,” she admits, before rousing herself from the doldrums. “There’s ain’t no need to worry,” Deborah finally concludes, as Heinrich and Rabbai craft a trembling tower of soul behind her. “Sometimes this life can get a little bit scary, but it’s only temporary.”

That fierce confidence is mirrored in her choice of cover tunes, as Deborah takes on “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” If anything, this Charles Fox-Norman Gimble composition is more familiar. After all, it’s been both a chart-topping pop song in 1974 for Roberta Flack and then a Grammy-award winning hit for the Fugees in 1996. Deborah’s update fits somewhere in between, boasting a spritely swinging smooth-jazz sheen. Coupled with a more openly hopeful approach to the vocal, the tune is transformed from its once-expected deep dark despair into a moment of almost ethereal longing.

A similar romanticism permeates Deborah’s album closer, the happily content “Perfectly Wonderful World,” also written by Martin and Paul. “The moonlight lights a path on the sea … a warm breeze whispers my dreams,” Deborah sings, as Rabbai offers a series of meditative asides on the piano that take the listener out into the current’s soothing rhythms. Whatever troubles have come before, whatever heartache, disappear like the ebbing tide. It is, in its own way, the perfect conclusion. For all of her flinty determination, there is more to Deborah E than a strong voice and a strong will. Her ability, and her willingness, to reveal these eggshell vulnerabilities we all carry is what propels Albumette into new emotional places. Balancing the two might be more difficult across a long-playing release. But for now, in this five-song context, Deborah E has it perfectly in sync.

Review by Nick DeRiso

‘Til Next Time,
-Deborah E
Jazz Singer
♫ Scat N Style ♫
deborah.info