Jazz-ish
Nembleu, 2024
9/10
The vocalist Eric Hollaway bring his bass tone to these 8 timeless tracks that welcome some excellent help for a jazz listening experience.
The upbeat and rich “Playing Your Game” starts the listen with Josh Green’s gentle drums suiting Hollaway’s deep, expressive voice amid much warmth, and “Feel Like Makin’ Love” follows with Benito Gonzalez’s dreamy piano, as Hollaway enunciates every word with prettiness in the romantic setting.
The middle spot belongs to “Here I Stand”, where Will Slater’s agile bass lines complement the sublime beauty of the album’s best, while “Pure Imagination” builds into a frisky and playful delivery of memorable jazz qualities.
Arriving close to the end, the intimate keys and sophisticated gestures of “In The Wee Small Hours” uses Peter Mongaya’s calm guitar in elegant ways alongside the flawless pipes, and “Lush Life” exits with Hollaway’s craft unfolding via a captivating spirit, where the mature musicianship is textured with gorgeous sounds.
You may have heard some of these songs before, but they’ve never sounded quite like this, as Hollaway and his company flesh out a stunning, acoustic jazz performance with a soulful bass voice that you won’t soon forget.
Travels well with: Jim Clayton- Lookout; Marcus Persiani- In Motion