Brown Book
Alice’s Loft, 2020
8/10
The singer-songwriter and arranger Denise Mangiardi offers us 10 new jazz centered tunes, where all but 1 cover originate from the London resident’s artistic vision that brings in the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra as well as a small handful of esteemed musicians to the affair.
“Soundscapes 1” starts the listen with dreamy formula which sets the mood for the remainder of the album, and “The Exchange” follows with sublime balladry as Mangiardi’s strong vocals soar amid soprano saxophone and elegant strings.
In the middle, “Day Time Kind Of Girl” proves that Mangiardi is friendly with the blues, while “Horn Song” indeed brings plenty of horns to the festive and fun setting where Latin influences are on hand, too.
Closer the end, one of the most upbeat tunes, “Red Bouquet”, is a delightful, guitar/bass focused highlight, and “Waves” finds a calmer place to reside with much emphasis on strings alongside Mangiardi’s engaging singing. The record ends much like how it started- instrumental, and flowing with focused precision from the ensemble.
Mangiardi, a professional musician since the age of 14, has a lengthy, luminous career so far, including plenty of stage time in both New York and New Orleans, and with Brown Book, the luminary adds another exciting and varied installment to her already impressive catalog of jazz oriented music.
Travels well with: Ellen Edwards- A New York Session; Sarah Elgeti Quartet With Friends- Dawn Comes Quietly