Customer Reviews

Jessica Molaskey: Sitting in Limbo

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We got a copy of this CD (from Jessica actually, at the Cafe Carlisle) within days of its release, and were delighted to have it from the beginning. What has happened over time, however, is that we continually find ourselves returning to this wonderful set of performances. The Waters of March (which John Pizzarelli does solo in his act) coupled with Circle Game is marvelously inventive and endlessly fascinating to listen to. "Summer, Highland Falls" is a gem that is little known, and Jessica trumps the original. Another clever and captivating combination is the "Morning Has Broken/I Woke Up One Early Morning" piece. There is such variety on this CD, and the vocals are all superb. Not outwardly jazzy, and not theatrical either; a perfect blend. Don't miss it.

i love this cd. it is a terrific mix of new and old. the songs are wonderfully reimagined. summer, highland falls is dynamite. sitting in limbo is wonderfully pensive and deep. i don't get the unchartered territory business. this cd takes familiar songs to new places and quite cleverly. kudo, to mis. molaskey.

Music, it would seem, has been in her blood from the start.
Her new album is the first, fully polished Jessica Molaskey album.
A mix of jazz standards, reinterpreted plus some new stuff.
She has rapidly become one of the most talked about voices on the jazz circuit, thanks to her smooth, sultry vocal style, and her ability to really inhabit the songs that she sings.
This CD is an instant smash among the jazz fraternity, and for sure will catapult Jessica into the limelight she seemed born to live and work with.
Along with her hubby, acclaimed guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, there are some other great jazz stars like sax master Harry Allen to help Jessica to take off.
Enjoy.

I usually buy albums by Jessica Molaskey as soon as they come out - I'm a real fan of her unique style and voice and her creative combination of songs. Even her liner notes are personable and interesting. This album is a major disappointment. The song selection is not nearly as good - it feels like I've heard these songs before. Even worse, there is a huge dud: combining the Waters of March with The Circle Game might have looked good on paper but is a major train wreck - I can't believe it got on the album. From now on, I will not be automatically buying a Molaskey album without checking it out very carefully.

great selection of songs - not the run of the mill. Unusual quality to her voice - always a great performance.

Have enjoyed John Pizzarelli for a long time; did not realize Jessica is his wife...I adore the tunes they do together on this CD! Very enlivening to listen to and breathe in.

A superb CD. John as the composer / arranger has an absolute winner here. Jessica's artistic singing talent is truly brought out in this CD. About half of the songs are really new stuff with sort of religous overtones (maybe the title subliminally suggests it).
The rest are more from the Great American Song Book and the Duet with John will knock your socks off.
Enjoy!!

In previous reviews of discs by Jessica Molaskey and by her husband, John Pizzarelli, I have said that these two really need to make an album together.

They must have listened to such advice. This 2007 release of Ms. Molaskey was produced by Mr. Pizzarelli. They sing together on 3 tracks, and one--my favorite track, the very witty "Knowing You"--was penned by both of them. Unsurprisingly, I think this is the best disc so far that either has done.

They work fabulously well together. They are the Grant and Hepburn, the Hanks and Ryan, of the jazz world. Speaking of actors, I can't think of a perfect analogy for John; but as for Jessica, she has much the same kind of compelling quality in her singing as Renee Zellweger has in her acting.

There's lots of good stuff on this disc. I love the finger-snapping stomp of Sting's "Heavy Clouds, No Rain", and the soulfullness on Stan Vincent's "Ooh Child" and Paul Simon's "Hearts and Bones." Yet, the clever duets--Molaskey's "I Want to Be Happy" to Pizzarelli's "Sometimes I'm Happy" counterpoint, and Jessica's "The Circle Game" to a similar contrapuntal "Water of March" of John's, are even better.

A special "attaboy" as well to Larry Goldings, the keyboardist and creative spark in many of the tracks here. His playing--particularly on the duets and the tack piano on the vaudeville-styled "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" are tasteful and appropriate.

While this is not necessarily my favorite c.d. of the year, it's definitely worth checking out. Hopefully, we'll soon have a c.d. of all Pizzarelli-Molaskey duets. I really look forward to that. RC

What's the best part about this CD? Ms Molaskey seems to be very much at home with all of these songs. It sounds like she took the time to become familiar with them, and loves them all.

Amusingly enough, I didn't know until after I purchased the CD that she's married to another favorite artist of mine, John Pizzarelli.

Keep on singing, Jessica...I'll keep on buying!

PROS: Producer and guitarist John Pizzarelli, also Ms. Molaskey's husband, is obviously familiar with the singer and her strengths and has worked with her in the past. CONS: Maybe it's time for someone to shake up the apple cart and escort Ms. Molaskey into uncharted territory. That said, here's a blow-by-blow rundown. 1). Sitting In Limbo: As a fan of reggae and Jimmy Cliff in particular, I lean toward letting the man's work stand on its own and away from cover versions. Jessica has a sweet, clear, soothing voice, and I've got to believe that a large segment of her core audience will be able to appreciate her version on its own merits. 2). Heavy Cloud, No Rain: This album's first step in the Peggy Lee "Fever" direction. Go ahead...try to listen to this and not think of Ms. Lee or her signature song. Good luck with that. 3). Summer, Highland Falls: I'm not a Billy Joel fan (sorry, folks) so I can listen to this without comparing it to the original. It kind of plods along without ever hitting a peak. 4). Ooh Child: The Five Stairsteps as a meditative, slow, fragile ballad? That's kind of like doing a smooth jazz version of a Jimmy Cliff song. Wait, she DID that...on track one. 5). I Want To Be Happy: The first "jump blues / scat" style song on the album. I'm not a fan of the genre so I can't offer an objective appreciation of the track. Pizzarelli stretches out here on guitar. 6). There Will Never Be Another You: A nice, simple piano ballad with the emphasis exactly where it should be: on the purity of Jessica's voice. 7). Knowing You: Another opportunity for Pizzarelli to showcase his talents on the guitar. A pleasant track. 8). I'm Gonna Sit Right Down: A somewhat jarring "ragtime" piano intro gives way to torch balladry. 9). The Circle Game: Once again I'm at a crossroads...as a lifelong fan of Joni Mitchell and her collected works, would I rather hear Joni sing this song or Jessica? Don't get me wrong...it's very nicely done, in the same way that Ann Hampton Callaway did a nice rendition of Van Morrison's "Moondance" with her sister Liz...so you're either a hard-core devotee of the originals or someone who can appreciate them AND cover versions. Not bad, not enough to make me turn my back on Joni. 10). Walkin' After Midnight: Sorry...Patsy Cline did this song to perfection...beyond perfection, if that's even possible. Rate my review as "not helpful" if you must, but Patsy named it and claimed it and this slower version...as competent as it may be...is living in the shadow of greatness, not casting its own. 11). Hearts And Bones: Once again, I'm not a Paul Simon fan (yes, as improbable as that may sound, it is possible). It's another "Quite Storm" workout, but just like the Billy Joel song, the complex lyrics don't lend themselves to a "smooth" approach. 12). Morning Has Broken: A low-key finale to a low-key album. I now declare myself ready to hear what Jessica is capable of when surrounded by a new creative team. a "5" on a "5 Scale" for the voice, a "3" for her choice of material and the arrangements, so an overall "4" for "Sitting In Limbo." Take a RISK, Jessica...a big, big risk like Tierney Sutton did with her all-Sinatra "Dancing In The Dark." You'll be glad you did, and so will we, your fans.