Alexia Gardner - A Little Closer: Live at The Birds Eye Jazz Club (2011)

Here we have Beat Baumli on guitar, Lorenz Beyeler on bass and Alexia Gardner on vocals. The album consits of excerpts of 3 nights at the Birds Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland. Read on for the Linear notes on this sophisticated Live Trio recording…..

Liner Notes provided by Phil Morrison from Brunswick, Georgia in the US. (Bassist/Composer/Songwriter)All too often we use the phrase "jazz singer" when referring to vocalists who sing standard tunes from the jazz repertoire. Many are very good singers who sing in tune and in time with the music…..

But to be a true jazz singer, it requires more. Just listen to songs sung by Ella, Sarah and Billie…you'll be hearing the quintessential jazz singer……they set the standard by which others will be judged. When listening to vocalist, Alexia Gardner, you are reminded of that era when a jazz singer was just that……someone in that tradition who would take a song and tell its story musically, respecting the integrity of its original melody, yet using nuanced phrasing that would be uniquely individual. Add to the mix the element of "swing" which is the prime ingredient represented in jazz….and you have what Alexia Gardner gives…..

Great jazz singing!! "There'll Never Be Another You" is as standard as you can get when it comes to jazz tunes yet, Alexia brings a freshness to this tune that few singers would be able to do. Even the configuration of her rhythm section exemplifies her "out of the box" approach. With no drummer, these guys are swinging hard and Alexia can hardly wait to get another "taste" of the tune while they are soloing (notice her occassional vocal snippets inspired by their solos).

I remember when I first arrived in Shanghai, China and had the pleasure of hearing Alexia perform in various clubs throughout the city. At that time, she was probably the only western jazz singer in the city (that I was aware of) and what a joy it was to hear her capture ballads, belt the blues and romanticize Jobim's bossas. There is no doubt that she was the "Queen of Jazz" in Shanghai and all the local jazzers would make it a point to either listen to her perform or ….depending on their musical level….perform with her…as she would selflessly share her extraordinary gift with the local folks. For those jazz aficionados …or even those who are just lovers of good music, I would strongly suggest that you treat yourself to hearing one of the true practioners of this great artform, jazz! Truly a world citizen via Jamaica, England, Asia and Europe…. and a world class jazz singer….Ms Alexia Gardner!

Tracklist:

01. Everything Must Change
02. There'll Never Be Another You
03. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewild
04. At Last
05. Jump In
06. Illusions
07. Turn Your Lights Down Low
08. Stormy Weather
09. My Favorite Things
10. Black Coffee
11. A Little Closer