Contemporary Classical / Jazz Singer-Songwriter Provides Ambitious Eclectic Set

While this may be for an older crowd of listeners – due to its mature subject matter and approach — there are moments of brilliance here beyond the mere boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, loneliness, happiness, you did me wrong, and reminiscing. Joanna Wallfisch is an attractive, young pianist, singer-songwriter, and arranger who taps into a vintage style and modernizes it with lyrics and music that penetrate.

On the first track, Ms. Wallfisch sings in a near whisper of sincerity with “Moons of Jupiter.” There’s a pinch of intense chamber music touches threaded between MOR leanings (middle-of-the-road). Popular in the 1950’s – the song skims the ballad genre but it’s not sweet and commercial. It’s ambitious and confident.

Joanna has some nice crescendo flourishes in her lyrical vocal approach. The violins and cellos are heavy but they never interfere with Joanna’s voice. The song is a little surreal yet, it has and maintains lots of charm. Ms. Wallfisch’s tone is strong and satiny. She also ties in moments with jazz but it’s the Alice In Wonderland piano playing that gives this particular song it’s gorgeous moment.

Definitely a proficient and talented pianist Joanna offers enough diversity in this single tune to make you wonder just where her next thirteen tunes will take you. I find musical influences that tag even the avant-garde style of Phillip Glass (“Einstein on the Beach”) especially toward the conclusion. Many will probably not understand what I mean – but I assure you – it’s there. This is quite creative. However, It may take more than one listen to really understand Joanna’s musical chemistry – but it is worth the exploration. She is not a straight-ahead jazz artist. What jazz artist uses a string quartet on songs? Not pieces of music, songs.

The second track did nothing for me initially. But on second and third listens, “All I Want,” (a Joni Mitchell cover) does have a new brilliance between Joanna’s lucid vocal and the lavish strings. The music could almost be considered European jazz. It has more melody than the average American composition of this kind. The words are married to notes close to the melody. No free form here. No bombastic word-play. But “All I Want” is Joni’s composition and it was probably a suggestion of the Lambert-Hendricks-Ross style of songwriting (“Twisted”) — a song Joni covered as well. Here, Joanna’s interpretation of the Joni Mitchell song is a class effort.

Though in some respects, as Joanna delves into the third track – the title track of her third album – “Gardens of My Mind,” she wades in the waters of Lambert-Hendricks-Ross herself and that’s no mean feat. She is, knowingly, or unknowingly, effective with this style. That songwriting team was the Rodgers-Hammerstein of jazz songwriting.

What makes Joanna’s songs stand out is the inclusion of the strings, the cello, and violins all anchored with no clutter around her jazzy piano and vocal phrasing. The title track is dynamic in this sense. I find the presentation clever in its chamber music-Glass formalist approach. The Lambert-Hendricks-Ross leanings are brilliant. Especially from such a young lady who climbs quite a lofty peak in music. Don’t be fooled, there are people out there who savor this kind of music. But at times in lesser hands, it can be walking a tight-rope.

Track 4 is slow and atmospheric. “Satellite,” is effective from its first notes. Lyrics are simple but constructed into little couplets and rhymes that are beyond the pen of most commercial female singer-songwriters. Joanna is not an in your face type performer – she sings with wonder in her voice. “Taste the blood you drew…” – powerful stuff. The arrangement with what sounds like a formative Philip Glass decoration. I could be wrong, but this is what I hear. It’s like tasting that little pinch of salt in the boiling water for the pasta. I sense it. And it’s good.

While the strings are smoky and provocative Joanna plays her piano in a piano bar style. The violins make the transition back to the aura of effective mood provided by Ms. Wallfisch’s operatic-voice. No, not Renee Fleming opera or even the lighter, commercial Sarah Brightman. It’s just beautifully generated with inspiring notes held for affirmation. In moments of reminiscence similar to both inceptions of the progressive rock band Renaissance. This band had two excellent female vocalists in different years: the first being Jane Relf (“Island,” “Wanderer”) and her replacement Annie Haslam (“Prologue,” “Carpet of the Sun”).

Joanna drifts through the surreal in its telling, but never in a too fantastic manner. The scenes Joanna paints are definitive ones. It’s over six minutes but it will hold your attention – if you have the patience to listen. Joanna fits perfectly with these two ladies in this classical arena.

“Distant Shore,” begins with “Eleanor Rigby,” like-rich chamber strings. Joanna’s voice has exuberance. This song gives me an indication of what Joanna could possibly sound like with the addition of more instruments – drums, etc. I believe her new upcoming album will indeed feature drums and other instruments. She could stand beside either Jane Relf or Annie Haslam as the third Renaissance reincarnation. She is that good. The lyrics to this song are strong and the melody is memorable. “When you went to sleep that night, I stayed there on the floor…” Nice visual. Quite beautiful, good images and impact. One of the best songs in this collection.

“Anonymous Journey,” is a slow track but filled with a silent power between melody and lyric. Joanna never strays from her vocal comfort zone. No showboating is even required to understand how classy this performance is. Again, Joanna’s lyric is written in a poetic frame. A story unfolds, with vivid images, and it’s all colorized by tantalizing strings. “Patience” is rendered with instrumental emotion. A good instrumental doesn’t need a vocal. It’s all about “feeling.” The passage of the note structure as it plays and subliminally creates a picture in your mind. The arrangement is credible. An art lost on many of the younger generation of pop stars and musicians. This is a well-thought out piece and you don’t need mature ears to appreciate it. Its position on this album is like an intermezzo – the main course is still to come.

The opening of the album version of “This Is How You Make Me Feel,” sounds like such an excellent, potential Frank Sinatra song that never unfortunately happened. I say this especially from being familiar with the era when Sinatra sang songs from his classic “Only the Lonely” and “In the Wee Small Hours” albums. I can easily hear the addition of brass to energize it and make it a little more commercially viable. That aside, however, Joanna’s arrangement on this song is impeccable and enriched. As the strings continue to toss off classical leanings, Joanna comes in with a European-jazz piano confection. Real sweet.

On the Vinegar Hill Studio version of this song (YouTube here), Joanna’s impeccable vocal is similar to legendary jazz vocalist Anita O’Day in spirit (“Jazz on a Summer Day – Newport 1959”) — with its little acrobatics and percussion. This is such a good performance and composition — Joanna really shines. Another “get it on your plate” while it’s hot selection. A show-stopper.

Track ten is a Tim Buckley cover arranged by Dan Tepfer (a French-American jazz pianist-composer known for pushing boundaries). “Song to the Siren” is pensive, and an ideal cover for someone like Joanna Wallfisch. The piano notes are delivered with emotion and Joanna’s vocal is disciplined. I could just imagine what the late Tim Buckley would have done if he had the opportunity to work with Joanna Wallfisch.

There is telephone dialogue in track 12 – “Dream of a Carousel,” and it’s a little startling at first since the collection is basically musically conservative in nature and not too crazy with effects. But, it shows Joanna pushing her creativity and making it interesting. Track 13 segues in with deep cello on “Brighton Beach,” and Dan Tepfer plays the piano and melodica. Joanna actually says “pissed off…” in her lyric and this one is intense and humorous. Featured brilliantly is the Sacconi Quartet: Ben Hancox (violin), Hannah Dawson (violin), Robin Ashewell (viola) and Pierre Daumenge (cello).

All songs were written by Joanna and she plays the piano the majority of the time. The collection (nearly 56 minutes of music) was produced by Joanna and co-produced by Dan.

There is a booklet but accessible only by inserting the disc into a MAC or PC Computer. The CD itself is a beautiful full-color 4-panel of Joanna adorned naked but in colorful rainbow flowers and paint – giving that attractive woman seated in whipped cream on the classic 60’s Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass “Whipped Cream and Other Delights,” LP some competition.

The album’s music will not put you to sleep – but, it may cause you to daydream, and be reflective. After repeated listening, some of the melodies will endure in your ears and isn’t that what music is all about?

Joanna’s new album “Blood and Bone” is expected to be released later in 2017 as well and this one…has drums! Check her website for more information.

Website: https://www.joannawallfisch.com/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/JoannaWallfisch/

Bandcamp: http://sunnysidezone.com/album/gardens-in-my-mind

Dan Tepfer Website: http://www.dantepfer.com/

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review/commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of No Depression. All photography is owned by the respective photographers and is their copyrighted image; credited where photographer’s name was known & being used here solely as a reference and will be removed on request. YouTube images are standard YouTube license.

John Apice / No Depression / May 2017