Jazz music has definitely gone through its share of phases over the years. Whilst a resurrected interest in the genre manifested through late 80s and 90s Hip-Hop, as well as the rare groove and acid jazz scene of the same period, the music slowly took backseat to various modern and not so modern forms of music. However, in this day and age, it takes an almost Godsent act to be able to brilliantly bridge the gaps between the past and present, doing it in a manner that is classically respected and currently accessible. Perhaps Swiss singer Lucia Cadotsch was sent down from the Heavens. With her 2016 critically acclaimed Speak Low LP placing the singer among the top tier list of current jazz singers, her latest record Speak Low Renditions perfectly restructures the album into experimental works of art that sounds like nothing else at the moment.
Speak Low Renditions revolves around various musicians reinterpreting pretty iconic jazz recordings, some that would almost seem blasphemous to rework. However, what makes each track magical is the fact that, rather than try to copy the elements of the original songs, each musician whips them into new and completely refreshing pieces, straddling the lines of free jazz and obscure experimentalism. Lucia Cadotsch’s easily entrancing vocals flawless guides each musical ship to shore, delivering sometimes seductive, sometimes smokey renditions of each classic. Marc Lohr pushes ‘Strange Fruit’ into an off-beat, murky lane of colliding beat patterns whilst Julian Sartorius’s winding and twisting version of ‘Don’t Explain’ is a slinky rebuild that takes the original definitely into uncharted territory. Frans Petter Eldh presents a more classic jazz improv take on the title track, as bass lines swim around the rapid-swinging sax. Colin Vallon lifts ‘Don’t Explain’ into spacious minimalism to apocalyptic orchestrations whilst Evelinn Trouble’s head-nodding rendition of ‘Slow Hot Wind’ is definitely one of the highlight cuts on the LP, as it’s cinematic presentation goes over well with DJs and everyday jazz lovers alike.
Lucia Cadotsch’s Speak Low album is already highly praised within the community of jazz lovers and critics, however her Speak Low Renditions is a bold, daring and more than fascinating play on an already monumental piece of work.
Speak Low Renditions is out April 27.