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NORA MCCARTHY - JORGE SYLVESTER: A Small Dream In Red

A SMALL DREAM IN RED

Nora McCarthy & Jorge Sylvester

By Jim Santella for Jazz Improv, NYC, July 2007

Recorded during a 2003 concert performance in Cleveland State University’s recital hall, this album ..s the adventures of a superb, contemporary jazz duo that forges its own trail. You can’t sit back and say that she recalls this or that singer or that he recalls this or that alto saxophonist. They’re both soulful, dramatic and highly original in their intimate recital, which includes two self-penned songs as well as several highly original interpretations. Nora McCarthy sings with an emphatic delivery. She interprets lyrics with fits of passion and relaxes casually with wordless sprees.

The program includes periods of tension mixed with areas of leisurely release. Alto saxophonist Jorge Sylvester brings a virtuosic character to the session, conversing with his musical partner in an equal balance of their two voices. There’s closeness in their duo performance that you don’t find in some ensembles. McCarthy and Sylvester have given a name to their duo, A Small Dream In Red, which amplifies several of the characteristics from their session: dreamy musical interplay mixed with fitful segments of dramatic tension.

Miles Davis’ “All Blues” is one of those standards that we can recognize without even trying. It lovely melody and comfortable rhythm can make for a pleasant afternoon. Here, McCarthy and Sylvester adhere to the song’s familiar waltz pattern while going off on tangents that instill a serious tone. She uses her fluid delivery to jump effortlessly to the highest and lowest regions of her vocal range, while follows her cues in empathy. McCarthy’s Miles Mind” carries a significant impression, as her voice recalls the frailty found in Davis’ horn through the years. Punctuation the piece with vocal and saxophone surges, the duo delivers a thoughtful tribute. Sylvester’s “Akara Moi Moi” swings with a relaxed jazz frame of reference, as wordless vocals combine with soulful alto fun to close the concert on a comfortable note. The two artists combine intuition with a love for their music and it shows.