Ian Martin: One
Soul Express Album of the Month
Reviewed by Ismo Tenkanen
on
February 19, 2001
An absolutely essential purchase to anyone who appreciates
quality soul and jazz!
An absolutely essential purchase to anyone who appreciates quality soul vocalising, excellent jazz-flavoured soul sounds and fine instrumentation. Just get the CD while you can!
Rating:
10 out of
10
Delmar 11062 (US Import), 2000
1) Send Your Love 2) Betcha Can
Rock 3) One on One 4) Treat Your Right 5) Work It
Out 6) Because the Love Is Gone (Radio Edit) 7)
Need You to Know 8) Rise 9) A Taste of Heaven 10)
Thank You 11) Because the Love Is Gone
Written, produced & arranged by Ian Martin
Do we have a new Norman Connors
here? I mean, not every day do we meet a talented
jazz musician - this time a bass and guitar
player - who not only is able to write, arrange
and produce his own album, but also easily
creates first-rate jazzy soul sounds and
introduces brilliant new soul vocalists!
As Ian Martin himself explains
in his interview in our next issue, his album is
certainly not a regular "smooth jazz"
set, but a much more soulful effort with full
vocals on each but one cut on display.
"I think smooth jazz has its place, but
there's not enough feel in it for me to fully
embrace it like soul. I used vocals because it's
an album featuring my songs first, then
everything else follows. I consider myself as a
songwriter, performer, producer, in that
order."
The first thing that grabs to your attention
after inserting this CD in your player is the
delicious, rich soul-jazz sound that starts
attracting one from the first second of the
opening track. It starts with a meaty real drum
beat combined with Ian's own bass playing and
keyboards, which are instantly joined by some
jazzy trumpet and tasty guitar licks.
The next thing one starts to delight in is that
all the vocalists on the album are genuinely
exciting, talented soul singers, although they're
probably new names to everyone of us. The
impressive opening track is delivered by a highly
attractive soprano voice that belongs to Jill
Zadeh, but actually there are two other
female singers introduced on the album that are
even more stunning.
The CD contains 10 different songs, all of which
are clearly above average. Some of the tracks
display a more modern sound with programmed
beats, but even these tracks are tasty and
inspiring - just listen to Jill Zadeh's soulful
wailing on the bouncy mid-tempo tune One on
One - like Chanté Moore on
a good day.
On the other hand, the most striking ballads on
display here have an altogether timeless quality
soul appeal highlighted by luxurious real
instrumentation. My personal favourite - and also
one of the three tunes Ian himself cites as his
favourites - is the peachy mid-tempo ballad Because
the Love Is Gone. Stylistically, it would
have been perfect for Anita Baker,
but Robin McElhatten's utterly
splendid reading of the song sounds like it
cannot be bettered - out of this world!
Amazingly enough, the album introduces yet
another truly gorgeous female singer, named Angela
Berryman-Simpson. Her voice closely
reminds me of Milira, having a
fabulous, dark and vibrating vocal tone that
Angela uses in a terrific way on a track titled Thank
You, a pulsating mid-swayer with
inspirational lyrics that Angela sings in a
colourful, gospel-ly yet jazzy way.
Ian's own bass playing gets more room on the
excellent semi-instrumental A Taste of Heaven,
which lives well up to its title and reminds me
of Craig T. Cooper at his best.
On the other hand, the elegant piano based Rise
- again delivered by divine Robin McElhatten -
reminds me of the soul-jazz gems by 101
North (featuring Angela Rogers,
Carl Carwell, Josie James, Everette Harp, George
Duke, Byron Miller, Ndugu Chancler
etc.). The only male vocalist featured, Donnovan
Henry, should also not be overlooked,
since he is a very impressive Donny
Hathaway-influenced singer who
interprets the classy soulful mid-tempo tune Need
You to Know in an admirable manner.
As all the aforementioned should add up to, this
is an absolutely essential purchase to anyone who
appreciates quality soul vocalising, excellent
jazz-flavoured soul sounds and fine
instrumentation. Just get the CD while you can!
Rating: 9/10
-Ismo Tenkanen
Soul Express
Editor
The Album
of the Month in January 2001: Karen Bernod
Albums
of the Month in 2000
Albums
of the Month in 1999
Albums
of the Month in 1998
Albums
of the Month in 1997
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