Customer Reviews

Jenny Scheinman

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I need to 'fess up, I was driven to write this review as a backlash against the lousy 2 star review. The hombre who penned that number has no idea what Scheinman has constructed/moved towards so far in her path as a muso. I have all of her solo albums thus far, and a few featuring her as a guest. From the Yoshi's date, through Shalagaster and 12 Songs, there is an open affiliation with material from a 'folk-song' background. Whether it's Klezmer groove, or standard popsong structure(12 Songs), she has worn her musical heart very much on her left-field sleeve. Longterm postings with the Norah Jones/Frisell/Peyroux scene seem to have deepened her understanding of the lexicon of Yankee popular song.

This is a voice & mind that has absorbed much of what resonates with lovers of emotionally candid music-and can convey those special things, lyrical punch/sparse melodicism, with transparent ease. Unadorned blues/roots music, that needs to get over primarily on feel - which Ms. Scheinman has in abundance. Speaking of voice, it is special and uncommon to find an instrumentalist who decides to give the pipes a workout so deep into her years as an artist. In this instance, it is a step forward for someone who has quietly and solidly been building her repertoire & confidence over many years and a wide range of genres - gypsy jazz, downtown, klezmer, avant-garde, etc.

Does someone have to sound like someone else to make them approachable?. I hope not, or else when someone as brave as JS comes along their own individually forged path, we'll ignore them and miss out on something truly remarkable and special.

A CD that burns slow and steady but gets warmer with each listen. Her vocals are assured and delivered with great sensitivity to the material. She "gets" the songs, whether her own compositions or the eclectic covers that seamlessly fit into the flow of the record.
Excellent support from her collaborators, and great violin woork (duh!) by Ms. Scheinman.
An acquired taste, perhaps, but truly a CD as a labor of love, love of music, love of words, creating a mesmerizing release.

Jenny Scheinman clearly has a lot to express and plenty of craft to back it up. You hear the surprising ways that she decides to phrase each word - it is often not the kind of sublimation that one would expect from classical player; nor it is a show-off of a vocal technique; rather she inhabits the character's depths and uses subtleties of her musical art to expose the brittle edges with rough honesty. Is her craft going to improve even further? Of course, and she is still finding her way around things, but it is remarkable even now. Now, waiting until she becomes as good as Lorraine Hunt Lieberson before buying this album is silly, because she already can be as devastating.

This is a sensational change of direction for someone who's made a string of excellent predominantly instrumental albums. "12 Songs" flagged where she might be heading, but this is the full flowering - a terrific record that combines stunning songs, confident, crystal-clear singing and terrific, sparse arrangements. I've played it over and over again - it comes up fresh every time.

The spare but rich sound of this album supports a spectrum of songs that while varied find a unified voice in Jenny Scheinman. From wistful renderings of songs by Dylan to a quietly aggressive take on a Lucinda Williams tune accented by a brilliantly growling guitar. What strikes me most about this album are the original songs written by Scheinman such as the haunting track The Green. Her voice and violin meld with the faraway and vivid imagery of her lyrics. These originals already have the indelible feel of new standards. This is an album that you know from the first time you hear it will stay with you for a long time.

From start to finish, this CD is top rate. Good music produced very well, and Ms Scheinman is an artist to watch. We saw her opening for (and then backing) Bruce Cockburn recently, and it was one of the best shows I have seen in many years. Again, fellow music fans, Ms Scheinman is an artist to watch. I think we can expect more great music from her in the future. This CD is just excellent.

I see some don't give this record high marks. That's OK...there are lots of opinions in this world and everybody's got one.

I'd never heard of Ms. Scheinman but saw a little post in the NYT the other day, talking about her performance somewhere in the city. Sounded interesting so I came here and bought the mp3 version. The first song (a Dylan tune) was an eye-opener. Have heard that song a hundred times but this was something new--I got a whole new apprecation of the song. Similar to what Tim O'Brien's Red on Blonde did for me some years back. I have no reservations whatsoever in recommending this recording.

I like Jenny Scheinman a lot, particularly The Rabbi's Lover. While this record is different from her previous efforts, it's still imbued with her characteristic tastefulness and understated musicality. I don't usually write reviews, but I wanted to make sure that someone had commented on guitarist Tony Scherr's playing. Nobody had. I don't think this record would have worked without him. His playing throughout is great, especially his solo on King of Hearts.

Get "Crossing the Field" or any of her other jazz albums before you get this. Or if you are a Norah Jones fan perhaps you will like this better than her albums, but I was a Jenny Scheinman fan before this and I'd rather hear her play violin.

The wonderful violinist Scheinman, known for her work with Bill Frisell, has become a Norah Jones wannabe with little style. Disgustingly over produced.