Changes And Choices
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
The jazz singer and lyricist Michaela Steinhauer keeps company with Alexey Kruglov and Roman Stolyar here, where the trio offer originals with no shortage of melodies, rhythm, grooves, and, most notably, improvisation.
“Me, Myself And I” starts the listen with soft storytelling alongside twinkling keys, as the pretty, dreamy setting unfolds with warm sax and expressive singing, and “Why Is She Still Here” follows with a lush and cautious delivery of timeless song craft.
Near the middle, “Choices” displays Stolyar’s key acrobatics in a both playful yet restrained album highlight, while “Abandoned Chapel” recruits words and melody from Ivory Stone as Kruglov pulls off an impressive saxophone performance. “Moving” then offers some of the best singing on the album amid inviting keys and precise brass.
Near the end, “The Other Day” soars high in an eloquent fashion that explores creative free jazz ideas, and “She Smiles” exits the listen upbeat and rhythmic with an atypical skill that few could replicate.
These three artists have been playing together for years, and it shows as they seamlessly shift in tempo, tone and tension across this very unique and absorbing listen.
Travels well with: Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia- First Snow; Jeni- Slotchiver- American Heritage