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On Melody's New Release 2008 is shaping up to be a stellar year of stripped-down jazz vocal recitals. Witness Long Beach native Melody Breyer-Grell’s collection of Gershwin standards, Fascinatin’ Rhythms; Breyer-Grell is supported by the basic jazz piano trio, with the intelligently applied supplementation of solo instruments. Breyer-Grell’s voice is front and center in this recording, never obscured by the instrumentation. The singer’s approach to this canonical material is reverent, but not so as to make it boring. “Somebody Loves Me” and “Nice Work if You Can Get It” open the disc on a conservative note, allowing the listener to understand all of the Gershwin Brothers’ intentions in their composition of the pieces. Breyer-Grell spars with Don Braden’s tenor saxophone for a chorus to introduce the former song, while guitarist John Hart appears on the latter. Gloria Cooper imparts a straight-ahead comping approach to Gershwin on her piano, playing block chords reminiscent of Red Garland’s support for Miles Davis. Breyer-Grell’s durable alto is well-suited to the Gershwin ballads like “Someone to Watch Over Me.” She sings the introduction very effectively over Hart’s delicate chording. The remainder of the band dissolves, with Jim Rotundi’s round open-bell trumpet. The title piece begins to throw the listener a bit of a curve, with an unexpected and intricate delivery on the part of the singer and group. Gershwin intended this song to almost jerk in its propulsion forward, and Breyer-Grell captures this perfectly. ”I’ve Got a Crush on You” is delivered with an insistent momentum not usually applied to this ballad. John Hart and bassist Dan Johnson squarely ground the piece rhythmically, giving the longing ballad a playful bite. “But Not for Me” is not that of Chet Baker. Don Braden gives an extroverted yet constrained introduction into Breyer-Grell’s extremely slow-paced delivery. The vocalist staggers the verses of “Embraceable You” and “Our Love is Here to Stay” in one of the more inventive performances of either standard this writer has ever heard. It is a perfect ending to a near-perfect recording. _________________________________________ Fascinatin' Rhythms
Melody Breyer-Grell's Fascinatin' Rhythms is a fine recording.
Breyer-Grell has a wonderful and rich voice - excellent in clarity and an
appreciable range. Her band, driven by the ever-so-tasteful drummer Matt But the spotlight on this album is Breyer-Grell's and her's alone. Her
uncanny understanding of the Gershwin songbook is remarkable as she struts Midwest Record With ubiquitous MVP Matt Wilson in the drum chair anchoring the snappy trio behind her, Breyer-Grell dips into the classic song bag, as so many others have done and have been doing lately, and comes up with a different spin on the top Gershwin tunes. With a lot to measure up against, the sterling vocalist is up for the challenge meeting it head on in grand style. An intimate, personable recording, this set might have to fight to stand out from the pack initially but once this vocalist hits your ears, it’s a bullet train. Tasty, jazzy stuff that might have such familiarity working against it initially but stands a head and shoulders above the rest on it’s own. The Run-Off Groove Melody Breyer-Grell is a jazz vocalist who honors the music of Gershwin with Fascinatin' Rhythms: Singing Gershwin (Rhombus). The arrangements are pretty straightforward, but she manages to give it her all and then some with the performances that are on here, including renditions of "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", and "I've Got A Crush On You". The liner notes state that she was originally trained in classical, and you do hear that in some of the songs, as well as the bubbly vibe that comes from performing in musical comedies. I'm sure she does all of this and then some in a live setting, but you can sense she's a grounded artist with a voice that will impress anyone. _____________________________________ Featured Artist: Meoldy Breyer-Grell Review: Breyer-Grell has a very compelling voice, at times soft and low, enticing you to listen, and then it can soar to heights that make you shake your head in wonder. This is more than just a tribute album, in fact, to call it that would be to trivialize it, to reduce it to less than what it is. This is an album of songs that are as timely now as they were when first introduced. Even though they are all recognizable to anyone who has not been on Mars for the last twenty years, there is something new about them all. The opening number "Somebody Loves Me" was a first take done without rehearsal, just voice and the expert playing of Don Braden on saxophone. After you hear this number you'll say to yourself, "If that was without any rehearsal imagine how good the rest of this is going to be once they had time to practice!" There are moments here and there that sound a little less polished than others but that is not a negative, in fact, it is in those moments that some of the best performances come from. It is like being center stage at one of those smoky nightclubs at about three in the morning when things have just really gotten good. You are carried along on a seamless wave of music and emotional honesty that gives the album its flavor. Fascinatin Rhythms is a more than one casual listen album; it is one of those recordings that comes along every once in a while that remind you why you listen to jazz in the first place. It is the kind you listen to when you are in love or just out of it or could care less about it, this recording just seems to fit no matter what. Melody Breyer-Grell is a new find and one that it can be strongly suggested you pay attention to. In fact, if you would like to hear what this singer can do with a wider variety of composers, try her first recording The Right Time. Ms. Breyer-Grell, legend has it, was an office temp while getting her start in music; those days are over and a very bright future awaits her in music, and that is good news for us. ______________________________________ Melody Breyer-Grell AUGUSTA, GA. - This CD, "Fascinatin' Rhythms" by Melody Breyer-Grell, has some impressive vocal work along with good jazz guitar accompaniment. The style of jazz music represented here was really made famous by artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Keely Smith. With an artist such as Melody Breyer-Grell, this style of jazz music will survive long into the future because it is in demand by jazz purists and avid listeners of music in general. The song called "Someone To Watch Over Me" has really strong vocals and superb jazz guitar similar to the styles of Barney Kessel, Howard Roberts and Herb Ellis. This song is done in the traditional jazz styling's of the greats in this genre of music. "How Long Has This Been Going On" has a great lounge jazz arrangement. The drums played with brushes, upright bass, piano, stellar vocals and jazz guitar create this wonderful music track. It's the sound of true jazz music. "Embraceable You" has been covered by many legendary jazz artists. This song is a timeless jazz standard and it's impressive to hear another musical interpretation of this song. The overall sound is very good, and the instruments are the right ones used for this melody. Melody Breyer-Grell has a fantastic new CD that highlights the vocal dynamics of this wonderful jazz artist. "Fascinatin' Rhythms" is a highly recommended listen. If you're a fan of jazz and jazz standards sung and played as they were meant to be, then listen to and purchase Melody Breyer-Grell's new CD, "Fascinatin' Rhythms," available at rhombus-records.com. ___________________________________________ On Melody's THE RIGHT TIME- In the fluid landscape of female jazz vocalists, where divas flow between
jazz and pop, the new release from Melody Breyer-Grell is all about JAZZ.
Melody Breyer-Grell is next with “Does Anybody Here Love Me”
from her new Blujazz release, THE RIGHT TIME. Blujazz has created
quite an impression with very free thinking vocalists......and now Melody
Breyer-Grell for unique, very sophisticated, progressive ballad presentations.
There is material here, that you may not know until you listen to the
whole show, “Does Anybody Here Love Me,” “This Is New’”
along with interesting reflections by Grell of “Close Your Eyes,”
“Invitation,” “You GoTo My Head.” It's the slow dancing
that fascinates me. Very groovy arranging and production. ______________________________
Melody Breyer-Grell possesses the consciousness and depth to bring new
emotions forth on this excellent offering she has titled The Right
Time. Rich, meditative and emotionally resonant, the New York-based
vocalist brings such jazz standards as “You Don't Know What Love
Is," and “You Go To My Head," into a new frame of mind.
From her soul to her voice to the song, this highly imaginative vocalist
brings a fresh and innovative experience to each song, singing a unique,
compelling mix of jazz ballads and Great American Songbook favorites.
Accompanied by a top-flight ensemble, her voice lingers with you like
a haunting refrain because of her sweet, swinging, sophistication. New
and veteran fans will appreciate Melody Breyer-Grell's use of several
harmonic complexities and her unique approach that is both modern and
nostalgic. ___________________________________ "The Right Time" attests to her (Melody Breyer-Grell) ability
to study the best, glean what she can from them and make them her own....Her
renditions are unfussy and strike at the heart of each song.....She doesn't
shy away from difficult music, demonstrating her exemplary intonation
on "Invitation" (a tune more often performed as a Jazz instrumental)...she
often includes rare verses... ______________________________________ _______________________________________ “light and floating colors of her lovely voice” and her “strong
Broadway belt” ______________________________________ “The song selections were impeccable, with some interesting surprises, like the song "Invitation." This is a song which is not usually featured in cabaret, but is a great tune, and Melody sang it very well. The room was packed with an enthusiastic appreciative crowd, who enjoyed the show, both songs and patter.” "There was a very interesting simplicity to her perfomance....proper
packaging can enhance her formidable vocal talents." ________________________________________
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