Label: Self released, 2020
Personnel - Tania Grubbs: vocals; David Budway: piano; Ron Affif: guitar; Jeff Grubbs: bass; James Johnson III: drums.
Pittsburgh-based vocalist Tania Grubbs fronts a jazz quintet featuring her husband, the bassist Jeff Grubbs, along with David Budway on piano, Ron Afiff on guitar, and James Johnson III on drums. The 12 tracks on this CD were recorded live at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar in Nyack, New York, and despite of the stylistically diverse repertoire, it’s clearly the jazz tradition and classic form that prevail in their interpretations.
Possessing a seductive vocal tone, which she uses with abandon, Tania remains restrained on Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing”, the song that launches the session. The timid projection of her voice here contrasts with the blues that closes out the album, “Don’t Take Your Love From Me”.
If the ballads didn’t make a positive impression - Horace Silver’s “Peace” is imbued with cliched guitar details; Joni Mitchell’s “Love” carries no major twists; and Stephen Sondheim’s “I Remember” is a tepid vocal-piano duet with occasional bowed bass - then the folk-pop of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire” together with the groovy country-jazz of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” provide an enjoyable listening experience. The group also nails the melancholic spirit of “The Peacocks”, the Jimmy Rowles-penned tune immortalized by Bill Evans, which is an emotional ride per se.
The energy of Charlie Parker’s bop classic “Ornithology” is there but with little amounts of inventiveness despite the apropos phrasing of the singer, who included one sole original in the program. “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” was inspired on Emily Dickinson’s poem of the same name, relying on a propulsive bossa groove and a sharp solo by Jeff to boost it.
Although the musical ideas fit the style, they often lack that sense of adventure I would like to have around. Sometimes the songs get trapped in repetitive vamps and gushing rhythmic patterns that fail to surprise. Nevertheless, even with some songs working far better than others, Tania should be able to carve a niche in the vocal pop and jazz continuums.
Grade C+
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Bird on a Wire ► 07 - The Peacocks ► 09 - Harvest Moon