A lot happened during lockdown and now we are catching up with some of the most beautiful creations that were sizzling in the background.
Yesterday after a long day I received a message from Deelee Dube about some material she and Juan Galliardo had worked on during lockdown. This is the Deelee Dube and there is no way I could resist. I stopped everything I was doing and waited patiently for the notification to pop alerting me to new music. Indeed, it finally landed in my inbox, and as I pondered, I felt grateful and honoured to have been bestowed this privilege.
Her award-winning Tryin’ Times album has already made an indelible mark in the jazz space, and while I waited for the download to complete, I couldn’t hush my mind as it raced in all directions. She raised the bar with Tryin’ Times and I was expecting a lot more and I was not disappointed.
I believe her voice is created for jazz masterpieces and the first of the three tracks is Angel Eyes. I find it incredible how she manages to put a new flavour to most of the old jazz standards. The second in the selection is Cherokee. Most jazz folks can tell you what this track means to jazz lovers, especially those who collect music by lady jazz singers. Deelee has come up with a smashing rendition and added her own pizazz. Her relaxed voice fused with beautifully woven sharped pitched notes amid her delivery are mellifluous.
The third track is I Thought About You. There is something extraordinarily special about this song, and that is you have to get the voice right and the ability to present it to an audience with panache. She definitely nailed it. If this was just a taste of things to come, I can hardly wait for the rest of the album.
Of course, great work requires highly skilled musicians and selecting Juan Galliardo’s Trio is a perfect fit.
Bravo Deelee & Juan Galliardo Trio
