Customer Reviews

Poet's Walk

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

 

 

Elegant, surreal, funky, urban, jazzy, toe-tapping and contemporary, Jazzhole are obviously still on top form with this their third jazz CD. This CD is pure honey, sweet and fragrant and a delight for the ears.

I have to admit I wasn't expecting to be bowled over by this CD, I thought that it would be too much too ask for their third CD to be as good as the others.

How glad I am that I was wrong.

Listen to Poet's Walk whilst buttering your toast, drink red wine to Do it Right, and remember all those things you wished you had done in your life whilst listening to The Slipping of Time.

There is nothing heavy about this compilation of songs and long may it continue!

I can't get enough of this group since they reinvented themselves in 2000 as the epitome of acoustic/acid jazz.

Jazzhole is simply one of the best bands extant. Their music is always TRULY soulful, warm, sexy, inviting, soothing, inspiring, and calming.

It had been 4 years since their last set and "Poet's Walk" was more than worth the wait. From the stroll-in-the-park-with-your-mate instrumental title track to the opium-laced blue light reading of Take Your Time to the joyous bossanova of It Would Have Been Enough, this brief album is rock solid, top-to-bottom. The tracks range from good to exceptional.

"Poet's Walk" is perfect for a romantic evening, a small get-together, or just winding down. This is as real as it gets.

Every release of Jazzhole's is a bit different. I myself would love a live album, for just a combination of all of their earlier material, combined with this release.

"Poet's Walk" is an incredible instrumental, it is so reminiscent of the Artie Shaw '50s quintet, Gramercy Five. It is way too short, and kept me playing it over and over, as under three minutes is not enough for this kind of jazz. The smooth guitar and bass line are too rare these days. Most people just don't get jazz like this anymore. Yet it is still so up to date.

"Slipping of Time" is another standout, with Saunder's vocals front and center, with a tremendous acoustic guitar for backup. Saunders has to be one of the best male singers we have today. He can make a syllable mean something, and he comes with enough talent to surely make the "less is more" standard never so true. A beautiful song.

Saunders never sauntees into a falsetto, yet never loses the tremendous soul feeling that was so prevelent in the early '70s. He doesn't have to -- he knows his craft. The entire album is beautiful and the remake of "Lowdown" is perfect. I love the Scaggs version, but that is 25 years old. I do agree with another reviewer who said they should put out an entire "remake" album. They sure have the talent for it.

All in all, a super romantic album, that will not be off your player for a long time. Just fantastic to hear great performers deliver. The timing is right too for a CD. I only wish the title song had been longer -- it could have easily gone to eight minutes with no problem.

The female vocal on "It Would Have Been Enough" is a bit weak, but only when compared to the voice of Saunders. Perhaps it would have been better if they had sung harmony, instead of different phrases. When Saunders is singing it is very hard to concentrate on anything except the excellent backing instrumentals!!

A definite must have.

I am a big Jazzhole fan and have been waiting for this CD for some time, and I can tell you it was worth the wait. I remember them back in their acid jazz days, and it's very cool to see how they have evolved. This is clearly a band with a lot of musical integrity. The band has cut out a lot of the programming from their "Blackburst" days, and this album is almost all acoustic... very beautiful, lots of space. It has a mature sound. "Poet's Walk" is great to listen to from start to finish.

My favorite track is "All The Ways", which is funky and sexy, and really grooves, as does the fantastic, modern soul cover of Boz Skaggs' "Lowdown". Marlon Saunders sings on most of the tracks on this record, and he is very chilled-out, less traditionally R&B than on his solo work. John Pondel's guitar really stands out on all the tracks, and there is a cameo appearance on this record by the legendary keyboardist David Sancious... and some tracks feature "serious jazz" players like saxophonist David Binney, too.

These days, I am listening to more REAL songs, less DJ/club music, like John Legend, Cassandra Wilson, India Arie, Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones, Kings of Convenience, Matthew Herbert, Skye, Paul Weller, Thom Yorke, and Michael Franti. If you enjoy any of these artists, and value good songwriting and great playing, "Poet's Walk" is for you.

When one thinks of "The Big Apple," one thinks of The Brooklyn Bridge, The Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Broadway, Rudolph Guilianni, The Mets, and Central Park, to name a few. To that list, I would like to add Jazzhole, for its musical "attitude" and presentation are as unique as anything that the city has to offer.

Though the album only features ten songs, each is so full that the release seems longer. Saunders' vocals have never sounded better, and the work of the rest of the band is extremely tight.

The best cuts happen to be covers, "Lowdown" and "Do It Right," which makes the listener hopes that, eventually, Jazzhole will do an entire album of remakes, bringing their singular style to the works of others.

Other highlights are "Life is Such a Gift," featuring Michal Cohen on vocals, "One More Time" and "Timeless".

Now, that would be a musical "cause celebre" that might garner the audience (and sales) that this ensemble deserves.

Performers on the disc and respective songs are as follows:

Drums: Mark Robohm
Bass: David Inniss
Guitar: John Pondel
Percussion: Daniel Sadownick and Peter Mark
Keyboards: David Sancious
Vocals: Marlon Saunders

"All the Ways"
Drums, Bass and Rhodes: Ahmed Best

"Jonesing" and "Poet's Walk"
Saxophone: Dave Binney

"Life is Such a Gift"
Vocals: Michal Cohen

"One More Time"
Backing Vocals: Marlon Saunders, David Whitworth, and Billy Baker
Clavinet: Warren Rosenstein

"Lowdown"
Programming and Synthesizer: Warren Rosenstein

The question would be, "Was the wait for the new Jazzhole album worth it?" Answer above. What I like about the album is that it isn't any of the previous ones, but has its own developments and takes on the material it contains. The three producers have each honed their skills, be it in composition, with Marlon Saunders increasingly sinewy voice, and the magnificent contribution that is John Pondel's guitar sound. The overall feeling of the album ( and like the last one it's an album to hear from start to end, rather than making selections from the culture) is jazzy and laid back, but taut and with just enough additions to the basic group to provide depth and contrast. The band themselves seem to establish a clear dynamic from the start. There's an excellent take on Boz Scagg's "Lowdown" on which Rosenstein adds programming and synthesizer, and the other track that initially stands out for me is "All the Ways".It's an ideal soundtrack for repeated listening on hot summer days, and I am building up that "Jonesing" feeling here in South West England where Jonesing represent having a strong need, desire or craving for something. Don't hesitate. Buy it!

This CD is probably the jazziest of all their CDs, really honing their performance chops and making music that's solid but groovy, accessible but not too corny, and generally satisfying for most situations.

If I have a reservation about "Poet's Walk" it is that Marlon Saunders' vocals aren't particularly strong here. Lots of stuttering and ejected emotion, but not much full-bore singing. The music shines here, even enough to make this their strongest CD, but Saunders torpedos a couple of otherwise engaging tracks.

i've always dug me some Jazzhole&this album as with there previous musical offerings has versatility&balance of styles,vibes&moods. my major knock here is that the covers on here just don't do it for me. "Low Down" Boz Scaggs Cover ain't working here. same thing with the SOS Band's "take your time do it right". I needed some Bar B Que Flavored funk on that&this Cover version gets the Microwave treatment which takes all the flavor away. but other than those two bumps in the road this is a cool listening Album. I always enjoy the vocals&overall arrangements.

The fifth release from this New York ensemble continues the vision of founders Marlon Saunders, John Pondel and Warren Rosentein, whose coterie of like-minded collaborators blend themselves into down-tempo jazz and soul grooves. This time out the result is more R&B than acid-jazz, with wah-wah guitars and electric keyboards providing a soulful base for the group's backgrounds. Saunders' vocals are particularly laid-back this time out, rendering a cover of "Lowdown" even more relaxed than Boz Scagg's 1973 original, and providing a soothing vibe throughout.

The airy Latin beat of "It Would Have Been Enough" (alternately titled "Life is Such a Gift") brings to mind 1960s Brazillian jazz with its acoustic guitar and feathery Michal Cohen vocal. Like all of the group's releases, this hangs halfway between foreground and background; but lacking the edginess of their earlier works, this one recedes more fully. At times, such as the restful dub of "All the Ways" that closes the CD, the equation is enchanting, but elsewhere, such as for a cover of the S.O.S Band's "Take Your Time (Do It Right)," it can grow monotonous. Though not as boldly hypnotic as the group's previous releases, this latest exploration still has its merits. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2006 hyperbolium dot com]

Poet's Walk is a wonderful album and I was highly anticipating the release date so I could review it. This time around, the album still takes some getting used to, although I've played it more than 5 times since receiving it in the mail. The main reason is because the songs just don't appeal to me like the entire "Circle of the Sun" album did. That album still holds as my favorite Jazzhole CD to date. The new material is still good, but just doesn't move me like before. One track which stands out among the rest is "It would have been enough", sung by Michal Cohen. Slightly repetitive in form, I like it. Perhaps there should have been more songs on the album, as well as songs sung by Michal or other female vocalists. Songs like "It would have..." are exactly what make me want to go have a cocktail at some quaint little terrace along the main in Montreal on a cool summer's day/night. And that's why "Circle of the Sun" holds as my favorite JH album...because of this very same feeling the music gives me.

Keeping on the subject of "It could have...", I was confused when I opened the digipack and looked at the credits, falling upon the middle section where it says "Life is such a gift" - Vocals by Michal Cohen. It took me a while to realize they're referring to the lyrics in her song. An honest mistake, but I'm sure others will or would have done the same as me. The photos on the inner left flap are fun. Marlon Saunders and Warren Rosenstein (Producer) are pictured at the top. Some of the photos are taken in what looks like a back alley or along the side of a brick building and I love that! It's fun, un-pretentious and charming. The digi-pack layout is simple, yet speaks a thousand words. When you purchase the album, you'll find a small note in the top right corner. "File Under Acoustic Soul". That's good to know, as sometimes it's hard to classify such an eclectic mix of sounds and colors.

Marlon Saunders sounds great, as always. Don't laugh, but I really don't know what Jonesing means. This particular song is really smooth and repetitive too. I look at Marlon's photo and he looks different. It's not because of his impressive hair...but he just looks different. Perhaps it's because I haven't really seen photos of him on or off the net. Another song I enjoy is "Do It Right", which I first heard performed/sung by 90's dance group "Max-a-million" (Spell). But I doubt it was written by them. You'll also note it's one of the 2 songs which aren't written by Rosenstein, Saunders or Pondel. "Poet's Walk" version of "Do It Right" is toned down, leaving it perhaps the smoothest track on the album, at least for me.

Poet's Walk may only have 10 tracks and it's just a bit over 50 minutes in length. I'd love to see the return of Kaissa Dumbé in Jazzhole's next album, as her voice, among many others from "Circle of the Sun" certainly completes any album. In a way, I've been stuck on that album so much, it's probably holding me back from rating this a full 5 stars. Honestly, I rate "Poet's Walk" 4.5 stars and do recommend it to anyone who truly appreciates music.

Tracklist:
01- Poet's Walk - 2:05
02- All The Ways - 4:40
03- Jonesing - 5:42
04- Lowdown - 4:33
05- One More Time - 4:50
06- It Would Have Been Enough 6:46
07- The Slipping Of Time - 5:12
08- Do It Right - 5:38
09- Timeless - 7:63
10- All The Ways (Dub) - 5:32

Notes & Features:
- Produced by Warren Rosenstein, Marlon Saunders & John Pondel
- www.jazzhole.com
- 2006 Beave Music
- File Under 'Acoustic Soul'
- Gatefold Digi-packaging with matte finish
- Picture-disc with green & black design
- CD is on inner right flap
- Jazzhole site is clearly evident on disc itself
- Art Direction & Design: Laura Forde
- Cover Photograph: Kava
- Approx. Running Time: 52.8 Minutes