I was a stranger in the city – out of town were the people I knew.
Oh, wait. That was a foggy day.
Seriously, I did have a rainy Saturday to wander in London as last month’s trip wound down, and that wandering took me to the “Exhibition Road Music Festival.” It also took me to some used record and book bins (more about that some other time), and looking for ways to entertain myself on a shoestring, or at least within my budget – in a very expensive city. Even a subway ticket can cost eight bucks.
One of the things I like most about the UK is BBC’s Radio Two. It’s free, you can enjoy it whenever you like, online, even here in the colonies. If you’re a Brit, you pay dearly for the Beeb; but I think you get what you pay for. I gave up on radio in the US years ago. Would I rather pay a couple hundred bucks for quality radio? I do…it’s called satellite radio.
Anyway, for me, there’s something about being in London that gives me the feeling that something good is about to happen, and that’s a feeling I don’t get anywhere else, except maybe at home.
You can turn on the radio, and hear the presenter saying, “Joining us in the studio tonight is Sir Paul McCartney,” and heck, that’s happening live, right up the street.
But. It’s always good to be home, and some very good music was waiting in the mailbox after this trip.
Robin McKelle – Modern Antique (Cheap Lullaby)
Release Dates: April, 2008 (EMI/France), August 19, 2008 (US)
Thank goodness for digital music.
If my copy of Ms. McKelle’s first disc, “Introducing Robin McKelle,” was vinyl, it would be worn out by now. The fact that this young woman has to go to France to be a star is a doggone crime.
This disc was waiting for me (along with the bills) after my last long trip. I stuffed it into the CD player in the big room even before I unpacked, just ahead of building a drink and collapsing on the couch.
Now, I made no secret about what a pleasant surprise I had in “finding” her first disc.
This one’s better.
You won’t believe what she’s done to that old Steve Miller tune – “Abracadabra.” Rock purists might not be pleased, but I had a “oh, yeah!” moment. It works.* You need to go listen at MySpace. Go. I’ll wait for you. Ms. McKelle says, “I was coming home from a gig one night, I heard that song, and the idea popped into my head. I turned up the radio and thought, this could be great as a swing tune.”
It’s all a logical progression from the last disc – Producer/Arranger/Trumpeter Willie Murillo seems to have stretched a little himself – in coming up with arrangements that sound fresher than last time. But let’s be clear – as good as the band is, and it’s a top-notch gathering of LA pros, it’s all there to put a frame around Ms. McKelle’s versatile voice. The list of those she has worked with is long – the Boston Pops, for starters – along with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jon Secada, Terence Blanchard, Darren Hayes, and BeBe Winans.
Whether belting out the swing tunes, as on ”Abracadabra,” or channeling Nancy Wilson on songs like “Make Someone Happy,” this disc is an absolute joy from beginning – to original end. The last of the eleven tracks is Ms. McKelle’s “Remember,” a tear-jerker, which stands up beside the songbook classics just fine, thanks.
Ms. McKelle has been known to teach voice at Berklee College of Music – the place to which my kid aspires. She could teach a thing or two to Joss Stone, the much-ballyhooed British “soul” singer. Ms. McKelle sings rings around that young Brit any day. I got your “soul,” right here. Gives me goosebumps.
This is a breathtaking disc from one of the best singers of this time – or any time.
This disc belongs in your collection.
Highest recommendation.
Four Stars (out of four) – MySpace – Website
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* It works much better than Steve and Eydie’s version of “Black Hole Sun.”
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