Speech Acrobats
MahniVerse, 2023
8/10
The musician, poet and artist Fella Cederbaum is always unpredictable, and these 13 tracks continue her formula with emphasis on communication and coexisting in these unusual times.
“How Do You Know” opens the listen with a warm atmosphere, where Cederbaum’s thoughtful spoken word challenges us to question what we know, and “Experts” follows with graceful piano complementing the insightful talking that surrounds how knowledge manifests itself today.
Further on, “Violence” uses bare keys and soft rhythm that also recruits eerie strings, while “Fear” enters dreamy areas that benefit from the lovely piano and the therapeutic wordplay that we can all relate to.
Approaching the end, “WHO? Cares” shows us that Cederbaum can sing, too, as gentle melody enters the charming jazz climate, and “Rip The Bonds” exits with some good advice meshing with the sparse keys.
A listen that is entirely Cederbaum beginning to end, there is much worthy commentary present, as the Renaissance woman continues a unique career that uses rap, New Age and cultured ideas with much impact.
Travels well with: Skip Grasso- Becoming; Dave Stryker- As We Are