David Lahm

David Lahm: More Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell

by Glenn Astarita
May 1, 2001

More Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell signifies pianist/composer David Lahm’s follow up effort to Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell. Once again, Lahm integrates a portion of the folk-rock singer’s body of work into the jazz genre while receiving sturdy and sympathetic support from saxophonists Roger Rosenberg and Vincent Herring along with the estimable trumpeter, Randy Brecker.

With this release, Lahm continues to delve into Ms. Mitchell’s recorded legacy while contributing three of his own compositions to this hearty mix. Herring ...

Mary Pearson: You and I

by Dave Hughes
September 1, 2000

Vocalist Mary Pearson's CD You and I is interesting in that each song is a duet in which she is accompanied by a lone instrument. It may be a piano (Lynne Arriale on four tunes, Fred Hersch on two), a guitar, a bass, or on two tunes, drums. While Pearson doesn't delve into scat singing or daring improvizational flights, her interpretations, phrasing, and articulation are excellent. Of the dozen tunes on the program, nine are standards and three are very ...

Mary Pearson: You and I

by Dave Nathan
July 1, 2000

When Nashville is mentioned, jazz, especially jazz vocalizing, is not the first thing that comes to mind - - in fact, it's likely to come to mind at all for most. Pearson comes from and works out of the country musical capitol of the world, and has been doing so for some time now. With this her first album, she may be driving a small wedge in the monopoly country music enjoys in that city.

There's no ensemble playing on ...

Mary Pearson: You and I

by C. Michael Bailey
May 1, 2000

You and I is a disc that had to grow on me over several listenings. And grow on me it did. My first spin left me mostly unmoved. The music and approach were interesting, but not novel. The concept of a vocal duet with various instruments is nothing new. It is not really that far out there that this disc had the voice coupled with each of the standard jazz rhythm section instruments. I had heard this all before with ...

Mary Pearson: You And I

by AAJ Staff
May 1, 2000

As Arkadia slowly but surely builds a label, it now adds its first singer, Mary Pearson Mary Pearson.

“And who is Mary Pearson Mary Pearson?" non-New Yorkers may ask.

Well, Mary Pearson Mary Pearson has been singing below the national radar screen for 20 years or thereabouts, with the likes of Fred Hersch and recently with Diva No-Man's Band. And you've got to give her credit for ingenuity: When she found the going tough as a nightclub singer, she supplemented ...

David Lahm: Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell

by Jack Bowers
May 1, 1999

It would be so much easier (I presume) to review this new release by arranger/pianist David Lahm if one were at all familiar with the music of Joni Mitchell. I blush to admit that I am not. The only song by Mitchell I can remember being drawn to is “Clouds,” and that one isn’t here. So it’s back to square one (which, come to think of it, could be another name for one who doesn’t know anything about Joni Mitchell). ...

David Lahm: Jazz Takes On Joni Mitchell

by Mark Corroto
May 1, 1999

I somehow forgot just how intertwined pop star Joni Mitchell’s music has been with jazz. Maybe its because my sister bought the new Joni Mitchel records, and I only listened to them from the bedroom across the hall, that I didn’t memorize her album covers. But looking back on Mitchell’s work, up pops Bud Shank, Larry Carlton, and Jaco Pastorious. Her Mingus record was more a love offering than a musical statement. Now, twenty-years later she’s back, singing on Herbie ...