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| Photo: Matt Griffiths |
It's been over a decade since I saw and heard vocalist, composer, broadcaster, and journalist
Nicky Schrire in a duo concert with pianist Gerald Clayton. She has just released "
Space and Time", a album of duos with Clayton, Gil Goldstein, and Fabian Almazan. The intimacy of the duo performances worked well in concert. But soon, Ms. Schrire moved from New York City to London, England, then to Capetown, South Africa, finally settling several years ago in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Along the way, she composed a project for cello, guitar, and voice as well as a yet-unrecorded String Quartet. Upon moving to Canada, she began a weekly program for Toronto's JAZZ-FM.91 ("
The Bright North"). When Jason Crane took a sabbatical from his excellent podcast '
The Jazz Session", Ms. Schrire took over for the 14th season. Now, she curates the "
Mothers-in-Jazz" series for "
The London Jazz News", an online Jazz zine that she has contributed for over a decade.
But no jazz-based music on record for Ms. Schrire until now. Anzic Records has just issued "
Nowhere Girl", a collection of 11 songs, mostly all original. To help her translate these songs, she and producer
Oded Lev-Ari gathered an excellent rhythm section composed of pianist
Chris Donnelly, bassist
Dan Fortin, and drummer
Ernesto Cervini (who record and tour together as
Myriad3) plus guest appearances from
Tara Davidson (alto and soprano saxophone on four tracks),
Laila Biali (vocal on one track), and
Julio Siguaque (electric guitar on one track). What stands out for this listener is how comfortable Ms. Schrire sounds, even as her songs talk of wandering the world (the title track), missing a songwriting partner ("
Traveler"), or a lovely ode to her parent ("
Father"). Donnelly's accompaniment is splendid throughout while Fortin and Cervini not only create finely-wrought backgrounds but they also can dance, sway, and even whisper when the song calls for it.
Many of these song defy genre. The lovely "
A Morning" is a finely etched poem set to a handsome melody (listen for the swirling piano "raindrops" behind the wordless vocal in the middle....sounds Elizabethan). "
In Paris" is both a lovely walk through the City of Lights in the morning and also a tribute to Joni Mitchell's "
Free Man in Paris"––Ms. Davidson's lovely soprano channels Wayne Shorter, her lovely tone surrounding Ms. Schrire's vocal in the next-to-the-last verse. On "
Closer to the Source", the singer adds her own lyrics to the lilting melody by the South African composer
Bheki Mseleku (1955-2008)–Ms. Schrire slows the tempo a bit but one still feels that bright bounce associated with South African music. Donnelly shines here as does Ms. Davidson on soprano. The song serves as a tribute to the composer and to the comfort the singer when she returns (such an interesting juxtaposition Mseleku wrote the tune as he lived in exile in London).
"
Nowhere Girl" ends with the delightful, whirling, rhythmical treat "
My Love"...no, not the Paul McCartney song but a "party tune" dedicated to Capetown. The trio plus Ms. Davidson play with great joy but it's the clicking, overdubbed, guitar (played by
Julio Sigauque, a musician from Mozambique who Ms. Schrire met when both studied at the University of Capetown) that sets the pace. It's an upbeat close to a really fine recording. When you sit down to listen, you'll hear how Lev-Ari deftly overdubs the vocalist on numerous occasions during the album. Also,
Laila Biali joins her voice to Ms. Schrire's on the lovely and heartbreaking take of Kate & Anna McGarrigle's "
Heart Like a Wheel".
Many hurrahs to Nicky Schrire for taking her time to create this album and for putting together such an excellent cast of supporting friends/musicians. Such good music deserves to be heard––then this "Nowhere Girl" will have a place...in your heart and soul!
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