Music Review: Audrey Silver – ‘Very Early’

Applying tenderness and warmth, vocalist Audrey Silver makes a selection of American Songbook standards, pop classics, and original tunes entirely her own. Her new release, Very Early, showcases her clarion timbres and gentle handing of torchlight serenades and melodies with a smooth cabaret shine.

The creamy texture of Silver’s vocals cradle the low-lit piano trickles elegantly gracing “Galileo” as she beams, “I was lonely and unhappy / And my lips were as cold as ice / But you kissed me and good heavens / Now I’m here in paradise.”  The listener soon becomes aware that the romantic lure of the track is a recurring theme throughout the recording.

This is also evidenced in Silver’s original track “The Cold Wind’s Embrace” as she reflects, “We are silent with wonder as we look to the sky / You and I / Unseen by the world / We dance through the night / Hearts beat together in time / Yours and mine.” Her intuitive nature to know when to hold a note that emphasizes a single word is penetrative, connecting with her audience and touching their emotions.

Silver’s cover of the holiday novelty “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” is trimmed in purring tremors of the horns and a solo of ad-libbed scat composed of words that have no meaning, yet the delivery puts the listener in a jolly mood. Silver performs with the ease of a vocalist weaned on torchlight jazz.

She exudes a cabaret flare likened to July Garland in “Lemon Twist” and a Judy Collins-flavored tenderness in the title track. Her rendition of Sting’s obscure single “Until” is gilded in Gary Versace’s wondering accordion keys, shrouding Silver’s vocals in beautifully woven ringlets. The cruising style of her vocals is easy on the listener’s ears and warms the hearth in any room from cafes and jazz clubs to casinos and ballrooms.

“Getting to Know You,” with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and music by Richard Rodgers, is studded in Silver’s jubilant sprint, imprinting the melody with her own signature. If listeners have a preconceived idea about how the tune has been performed in the past, they will be pleasantly pleased by Silver’s treatment of the familiar American Songbook standard. There is a softness in Silver’s vocals that is appealing and makes her performance individual from vocalists before her. She stands out among the classic smooth jazz milieu.

The sleek strut of her vocals in “What’s with You” pervades a flirtatious-like suppleness. Her command of the French language in “Jardin D’Hiver” is perceptive as though she was born to sing the language of love, and her keen sense of breathing life into lyrics makes the audience’s heart palpitate. She gives meaning to lyrics like scat which aren’t in any country’s vernacular, but they have meaning in her delivery. A purveyor of songs that touch the heart’s yearnings, she will serenade listeners and put them in the mood to enjoy the world around them.

Musicians:

Audrey Silver-vocals, Bruce Barth-piano, Paul Beaudry-bass, Lewis Nash-drums, Alex Norris-trumpet, Gary Versace-accordion, Ron Affif-guitar, Tom Beckham-vibes

Tracklisting:

“Galileo” (lyrics and music by Declan O’Rourke and Seamus Cotter)
“Surrey with the Fringe on Top” (lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, music by Richard Rodgers)
“The Cold Wind’s Embrace (lyrics by Audrey Silver, music by Audrey Silver & Dominique Gagne)
“Getting to Know You” (lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, music by Richard Rodgers)
“Goodbye New York” (lyrics by Deborah Garrison, music by Audrey Silver and Dominique Gagne)
“Until” (lyrics and music by Sting)
“Lemon Twist” (lyrics and music by Bobby Troup)
“Very Early” (lyrics by Carol Hall, music by Bill Evans)
“What’s with You” (lyrics and music by Mose Allison)
“Jardin D’Hiver” (lyrics and music by K. A. Zeidel and B. Biolay)
“Lucky to Be Me” (lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, music by Leonard Bernstein)
“When the World Was New” (lyrics by Audrey Silver, music by Audrey Silver and Dominique Gagne)