This past week, the Washington, DC area got something approaching 50 inches of snow in some spots. I measured about 40 inches outside the back door. Work was called off for four and a half days. We survived. I found time to get back into the writing groove. And to listen to good music.
Kristine Mills – BossanovafiedReleased – April, 2009
Kristine Mills gets it. She understands the whole package – the considerable talent it takes to get one of these off the ground.
Let’s start with the material – eight tracks, written with a little serendipity from a life “interesection” with two poets. Original material, that has that knack of making the music sound like you’ve heard it before. And, your mind says, when you heard it before – you liked it.
So Ms. Mills’ vocal ability is more than “a way with a lyric,” it’s an immersion into material that she owns, not something someone else built. This is her intimate familiarity with lyrics that become almost instantly familiar inside your head. This isn’t mouthing words. It’s knowing not only what you can do, but also what you can’t. This is considerable vocal talent.
With a little chutzpah that led to some of the arrangements, by Brazilian pianist Paolo Midosi. Ms. Mills says, “I met this classic bossa nova pianist, writer and arranger (performing at a club) in Rio…it was instant chemistry. I found the courage to ask to sit-in after the show…we agreed to meet in Rio the following year to record my songs as bossa novas and sambas. Bassist Haroldo Cazes adds some arragnements as well. So, add a quartet that manages to sound bigger than four guys, with arrangements that pull it all together (Bossa and Samba) with Brazilian polish.
And cover art that pops – no, screams, “Pay attention, there’s something important, here.”
That doesn’t all come together by chance. So when I say there’s talent here, there’s also the talent to pull it all together. And yes, there’s more than a little marketing in Ms. Mills’ background.
It shows. So does her talent.
Lots and lots of talent. Ms. Mills spent time as a guest vocalist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, performing in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil at the Brazilian International Jazz Festival in 2007. One Houston Chronicle blogger calls Ms. Mills “Houston’s Jazz Darling.”
This is a third recording for Ms. Mills, who offers more than a little taste of her considerable talent at her website. Do a little poking around, and you’ll find some keepers, starting here.
Go. Listen.
This disc is very highly recommended.
Another plug for great cover art. It’s curb appeal. It’s what grabs me (or anyone else who’s interested in your music) and commands that first look. Kudos here to photog Mike Frost at SLFEMP for the shots, and Sloan Designs for the layout. Other photos, like the one above, from Morris Malakof. Take a look at some his work here. Talent has to extend to the package, as well. If you don’t have it, hire it. If you’re not spending a buck or two for good art, you’re wasting money on the rest of the effort. It’s that first impression that counts.
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