Black Acid Soul - Blue [A Kind Of 'Blue']＜Blue Vinyl＞

Vocalist Marley Munroe (aka Lady Blackbird) evokes the maverick style of singer Nina Simone on her potent 2021 debut Black Acid Soul. Produced by Chris Seefried, Black Acid Soul is Munroes first full-length album following a handful of singles and several years of studio work and live performing. Much like Simone, Munroe is blessed with a throaty, highly resonant voice thats well-suited to carrying a jazz standard, but which also fits nicely on dusky R&B ballads. Working with guitarist Seefried and an intimate ensemble of collaborators, including pianist Deron Johnson, bassist Jon Flaugher, and drummer Jimmy Paxson, Munroe finds a spellbinding balance between acoustic jazz and live small group soul. She underlines the Simone connection from the start, opening with a burnished take of the legendary singers classic "Blackbird," conjuring a menacing, earthy sensuality that perfectly sets the tone for what is to come. Part of what made Simones classic work of the 60s and 70s so intriguing was her ability to take a song from any genre and make it her own. Munroe has the same gift and displays it throughout, diving into an organ-tinged take on Reuben Bells 1967 track "Its Not That Easy" and transforming Bill Evans languid 1958 composition "Peace Piece" into a dreamily intoxicating tone poem called "Fix It." She even reworks the James Gangs 1969 "Collage" into a far-eyed modal number that draws equally from John Coltrane and the psychedelic band Love. While Lady Blackbirds distinct influences and love of Simone certainly drives much of Black Acid Soul, theres an immediacy and warmth to the album that feels all her own. ~ Matt Collar

複数の名義で長いキャリアを持つLAのシンガーが、ラナ・デル・レイなどに関わってきたプロデューサーのクリス・シーフリードに見い出され、名を一新して完成したデビュー作。ピアノとベースを中心としたクラッシーな楽曲がアルバムの基調で、ニーナ・シモン"Blackbird"を堂々とカヴァーするオープニング曲や、ビル・エヴァンスのピアノを引用したジャジーな"Fix It"など、ソウルフルなパフォーマンスとモーダルな旋律を乗りこなす器用さの両方を併せ持つ。ジャイルズ・ピーターソンが彼女を〈ジャズ界のグレイス・ジョーンズ〉と評しており、MVで見せる派手な白髪と衣装にその片鱗も窺えるが、エモーショナルさとブルーなヴァイブを巧みに行き来するテクニックこそ聴きどころだ。
bounce (C)池谷瑛子