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Kaz Simmons

Take Me Home

33 Jazz

Album description

The young jazz vocalist Kaz Simmons has rapidly been establishing her reputation with gigs at the Spice Of Life in Soho, the Bluejay Jazz Lounge, The British Library, Blackheath Halls, Mezzo, Pizza on the Park, Rays Jazz Shop at Foyles, The National Portrait Gallery, The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Grey Lady and most recently at BBC's Television Centre.

Her debut album 'Take Me Home' features mostly her own arrangements of jazz standards (Old Devil Moon, Cheek To Cheek) and not-so-standards (Tom Waits' Take Me Home and Nick Drake's Day Is Done).

She has brought together the outstanding talents of Gwilym Simcock on piano and French horn (Bill Bruford's Earthworks, Tim Garland, Kenny Wheeler), bassist Simon Thorpe (Stacey Kent, Jivin' Miss Daisy) and drummer Dave Smith (Pete Wareham, Trudy Kerr). Matt Dungey (piano) and Sam Crockatt (tenor sax) complete the line-up.

Review

Absolute clarity of diction, a nice line in scat, an exuberant vocal quality and an inventive arranger - Take Me Home perfectly encapsulates the enormous potential of singer Kaz Simmons.

In terms of arranging skills it;s the opener 'Old Devil Moon' which grabs the attention, its rhythmic games and nicely reworked harmonies breathing welcome new life into this tired old warhorse.

Providing a still centerpiece to the album is the sole/vocal track 'Take Me Home' from Tom Waits' classic soundtrack to Coppola's One From The Heart.

This apparently made the cut just a week before recording was due to start - and it's an inspired choice both in its placement and execution. Gwilym Simcock's one arranging credit, 'I Didn't Know What Time It Was', is a superbly imaginative reworking of the Rodgers and Hart tune, its opening syncopated solo piano riff merely hinting at the treasures that lie within.

Interestingly, 'Day Is Done; is an arrangement of an arrangement, Simmons name-checking Charlie Hunter's version of this Nick Drake Song (from the guitarist's 2001 album Songs From The Analog Playground) as her source of inspiration.

It's a classy cut, with Matt Dungey's tasty work on Fender Rhodes adding just the right amount of retro chic.

Peter Quinn, Jazzwise