Soul Express Album of the Month - February 2005  Buy this album from our CD Shop
LISA DEVEAUX – Shakin' That Jazz (US Island Girl Music, 2004)
Lazy Monday Afternoon - Let's Have It All - Shakin' That Jazz - Wanna Be Where You Are - So Far Away - First Time - Second Nature - You Are The One - Special My Love Those of you who have in your collection Café De Soul Vol 5 will be aware of this fine, fine Lady and will doubtless have wanted to hear more from her. Well, wishes being granted and all that, here she is with her very own, self-financed, album that is every inch a winner and has a quality that easily rubs shoulders with the vocal jazz that is still lucky enough to be on a major label. No cardboard box and a xylophone for Lisa! Lisa Deveaux is an all-round talent and knows exactly who to call on for assistance when she wants to lay down some tracks. Bobby Lyle, Everette Harp, Munyungo Jackson, Scott Mayo, Cornelius Mims, Karen Briggs and Stephen Shockley from Lakeside get their musical heads together to create the album "Shakin' That Jazz". This album is a culmination of experience, and great advice that the best R&B and jazz artists have had to offer. Lisa has sung backing vocals with two of our departed greats, Barry White and Phyllis Hyman who became her mentor. With some wise advice from Norman Connors she relocated to L.A. and so honed and crafted this album which will definitely be one to please regular Lowdown readers. So, the girl from the big city delivers a soulful jazz set that blows with warm summer breezes, and thank goodness for it too. It's a grey, murky day here and a CD of this calibre warms the soul and makes me yearn for better climes. "Lazy Monday Afternoon" gently opens up the album and allows Lisa's alto / soprano vocals to sweetly merge with the smooth grooves - Karen Briggs' electric violin pops in and jazzes it up a great deal. Not my favourite instrument, though. However, many artists can carry it off and this is true of Lisa on this song. My favourite songs include her imaginative, fresh and ear-opening version of the Leon Ware / Marvin Gaye classic "I Wanna Be Where You Are". Lisa grabs this funky sunshine 70s number and twists it about into very much her own vocal vehicle. In fact, if one were not mindful of the song one would perhaps not know that it was a cover version! Talking of cover versions, it was a brave thing to attempt "So Far Away" which is from the songbook of the great Carole King. Lisa does a phenomenal job on this ands raises the musical bar to a very high level indeed. I know that a lot of Lisa's heart and soul went into this recording which she dedicates to her father who has passed away. A beautiful and fitting tribute in song and one that Lisa and her father should, and will, be proud of. "Second Nature" a Carol Duboc tune features Bobby Lyle and can be found on Café De Soul 5 so should be familiar, but I would love to draw your attention to her fresh and interesting reworking of the Norman Connors composition, "Special My Love" of which you will recall the original can be found on the excellent Juanita Dailey album on Woo Records from 1998. Both cuts with Everette Harp are also winners and should warm the old cockles on these long, dark and dreary winter nights. Lisa’s album can be sampled on http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deveaux or on Lisa’s very own website, www.lisadeveaux.com. Listen and enjoy. Highly recommended. - Barry Towler The Latest CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2008 Albums of the Month in 2007 Albums of the Month in 2006 Albums of the Month in 2005 Albums of the Month in 2004 Albums of the Month in 2003 Albums of the Month in 2002 Albums of the Month in 2001 Albums of the Month in 2000 Albums of the Month in 1999 Albums of the Month in 1998 Albums of the Month in 1997 Other CD
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