Articulations

Many jazz players tend to post-bop and instrumentals but I have huge respect for lyrics and love a singer.  Tilly Street is a walk back to the glorious history of women singers in jazz, to the love songs, the '30/'40s musicals, the '50s/'60s which she spoke of as Beatnicky (nice!).  Even so, I was taken aback when she finished with the haunting tune Lawns by Carla Bley and Kurt Elling and to some degree by a string of intriguing, politically or intellectually challenging songs written by her and band members.  Quit my job was a rollicking fun tune of optimism; Let the right one in suggested a touching love song; another touched on politics with due care.  There was also one suggesting a child's view but I'd guess more an adult thinking back to lost possibilities, dunno, a delicious ballad called Peter Pan.  I also particularly enjoyed Spring can really hang you up the most, all heartbreak and bittersweet memories (listening now to Ella from Whisper not) or another pensive number, Something cool (listening to Julie London from Round midnight; nice but not Ella). So this was a night of words and song and I loved the return to such beauteous ballads and articulated emotions.

Tilly Street (vocals) performed at Smiths with Arthur Washington (guitar), Andrew Scott (piano), Max Alduca (bass) and Abby Constable (drums) for the release of her new album All at sea.