Customer Reviews

Silent Witness

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4 star:		(1)
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Liz's original songs -and nine of the eleven songs on this recording are originals or are co-written- are tinged with a variety of emotions: love, love lost, and angst to name three. On this album we hear the angst of love lost (listen to "It's Better That Way") and of communicating with a distant but loved person ("Long Hard Road"). Yet this is an uplifting album. Some of the songs are not only joyful, but downright ecstatic: the wide-eyed wonder at the universe in "Somewhere" (Liz sings: "star-beyond a star beyond a star beyond a star"). After the guitar solo, the band sets up the chorus nicely by slowing down slightly just for a measure, and then goes back in to the chorus of "Somewhere a thousand galaxies colliding". This is great playing: subtle but rocking. The record is full of playing that is both expressive and in the rhythmic groove.

I asked Liz "Why does the band sound so good?". She replied "We're extremely picky about the musicians we bring in to the studio, and we're very lucky to know some of the best players out there. The drummer in particular, Joe Bonadio, is especially creative and inspires everyone to look for the deeper colors in their own playing. Seth [Farber], of course, is equally inspiring to work with. For the record, one of the bass players, Paul Ossola, was in the Saturday Night Live band for years; Marc Shulman has worked with Suzanne Vega and Jewel; Victor Krauss tours with Lyle Lovette; it goes on from there. Basically they sound great because they're exceptional musicians all."

Seth Farber, who also plays piano, organ, and accordion on this disc, produced this along with Liz. The excellent ensemble sound comes through crystal clear amid -on some cuts- a mixture of overdriven electric guitar with acoustic guitar and other instruments. I've been listening to the album for two years, and the album holds up to repeated listenings.

The singing is powerful but nuanced, very expressive, and just sounds good. Also, the background vocals are a pleasure to hear on this album and on "No Small Wonder".

Comments on a few of the songs:

"It's Better That Way"- I love this tune. Sounds like a hit to me.

"Fairytale"- Liz's guitar is tuned to an open chord. Cardboard box played with brushes rounds out this full-sounding duo.

"Cry"- hauntingly beautiful . Great arrangement with a reverbed chorus of Liz vocal overdubs. The song was used in the soap opera "Passions".

In Seth and Liz's rendition of "The Man I Love", Seth's held back, yearning, almost rubato piano accompaniment is the perfect foil for Liz's silky reading of this Gershwin tune. If you liked the way Liz and Seth play "The Man I Love" on this album you're also going to enjoy another jazz standard "My Old Flame" on "No Small Wonder", which is also a great album.

If you like straight-from-the-heart song writing with great playing, wondrous singing and ensemble playing, listen to this album.

Liz Queler has a voice so beautiful it can bring tears to one's eyes. She sings in a way that is modulated and exacting, but passionate. She wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the disc. A great disc for kids - most songs are ballads, and my favorite is "Little Man", about a small child's effect on his parent's lives. Check out this lovely CD!

DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!!! LIZ` IS A VERY SOULFUL SONGSTRESS AND WITH HER HUSBAND'S HELP THEY ARE UNSTOPPABLE!