Record Reviews

HANA SEBESTOVA ~ UTAJENA MUSIC FUND SLOVAKIA 8588006417036 (Barcode: 8588006417036) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Slovak vocalist / songwriter Hana SebestovaFind albums by this artist, on which she presents ten of her original songs (music and lyrics) and one standard, sung, except for the standard and the opening and closing songs, in her native Slovak language. She is accompanied by an excellent team of musicians, which includes brass and string sections in addition to the core group which features keyboardist Lubos SramekFind albums by this artist, who was also in charge of the arrangements, guitarist Matus JakabcicFind albums by this artist, flautist Barbora KolarovaFind albums by this artist, bassists Tomas BarosFind albums by this artist or Juraj GriglakFind albums by this artist and drummer Marian SevcikFind albums by this artist. American pianist Kevin HaysFind albums by this artist appears as a guest star singing on the last track. The album is nothing short of a double triumph for Sebestova, as she shines both as a songwriter and a vocalist. The music is a great collection of superbly crafted new original songs, which are all as good as anything on the standards list. Diverse stylistically (Blues / Soul / Jazz) and wonderfully melodic, these songs are simply irresistible. Sebestova´s decision to stick to her native tongue saved her from the embarrassment caused by non-native English speakers singing in English, which sadly are almost always catastrophic. The three songs she does sing in English find her definitely up to the task, but thankfully they are a minority. Although her vocal range is not exceptional, she uses her voice wisely and intelligently, inserting vocalese and other vocal theatrics occasionally, which turn this album into a most entertaining affair. She was also extremely lucky to assemble such a stellar team of musicians to accompany her. Sramek´s piano playing and his arrangements are absolutely brilliant and have a major influence on the overall result of this album. But all the other musicians are also beyond reproach and contribute amicably. Overall this is a stunning and most impressive debut and a vocal Jazz album I have personally enjoyed like nothing similar in a very long time. In many respects this album should be studied by the aspiring young Jazz vocalist, who are about to record their debut albums. Well done Milady!

Updated: 24/02/2017Posted: 24/02/2017

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