Music Review: Chelsey Green and the Green Project – ‘The Green Room’

Violinist, viola player, and vocalist Chelsey Green bounces from funky dance tracks with R&B seasonings and bopping grooves to classically-twined silhouettes on her full-length debut album The Green Project. The collaboration of chamber strings and guitars are trellised in the twinkling notes of the piano and keyboards as horns flare vibrantly with a rhythm section that supports the free flowing ruminations.

Classic pop tunes like Thom Bell and Linda Creed’s “People Make the World Go Round” are accented by chamber music trimmings, and original numbers like Green’s “Road Trip” are driven by uninhibited strings climaxing with an electric guitar solo that soars with uncharted spontaneity. The chic décor woven by a traipsing violin and nimble horns in the latter track form refined expressions that magnetize audiences.

Green’s violin has a sleek strut in “Party Song” setting the track’s cool dashing stride, displaying influences of melodic pop and ambient electronica. Her move into contemporary dance music is a natural leap and one which shows her flexibility as a violinist and a composer. The smooth jazz gait of “1am” is contoured in fluttering strings and whispering synths that create a serene atmosphere, instantly likeable and succoring. The marching syncopation of the strings which open Richard Rodgers’s “My Favorite Things” fluidly transition into the familiar pirouetting motifs as Green embellishes the track with her stylistic nuances. It’s an interpretation which would impress Rodgers.

“Pizzicato Part III” radiates with elegance and allure as Green’s strings weave majestic patterns taking the listener through imaginative sequences. The melody moves through a maze of sparse calms and robust showers keeping the harmonious flow a constant. The contemplative musings of the violin meandering along “My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)” permeate an ethereal aura as notes reach heavenward and twine gracefully, wrapping the listener in pure solace.

Green gives listeners a taste of her accoutrements as an expressive musician and a gifted composer. She has a multi-faceted discography which includes recordings in various genres with artists such as: Paul Carr (jazz), Ted Garber (Americana), Anthony Walker (gospel jazz), Tyler Sherman (jazz/classical contemporary), Maimouna Youssef (R&B/soul), Lori Williams (jazz), Macheeste (contemporary gospel), Carolyn Malachi (urban contemporary), Femi The DriFish (hip hop/spoken word), The Sweater Set (folk traditional), and Aaron Hardin (jazz). Her debut recording shows influences which can be traced to her experiences as a live performer, having honed her talent as an impressive artist.

Musicians:

Chelsey Green – violin, viola and vocals, Ignatius Perry, Jr. – keyboards and piano, Lorenzo Johnson – auxiliary organ, keyboards, and sine pad, Kevin Powe, Jr. – electric bass and additional production, Brian “Spyda” Wheatley – drums, Monique Brooks-Roberts – auxiliary violin, Marvin Thompson – trombone, Will Spence – alto saxophone, Theljon Allen – trumpet, Steven Walker – guitar, Mathew Chase – guitar, Daryl L.A. Hunt – piano, Joshua Thomas – clavier

Tracklisting:

“Dr. Funk,” “Road Trip,” “Cheryl Ann,” “People Make the World Go Round,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Party Song,” “1am,” “My Favorite Things,” “Pizzicato Part III,” “My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)”

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