JAZZYFATNASTEES
The Tortoise & the Hare (CoolHunter Music)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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First of all, I have to say that it makes me feel really weird to sit and listen to this album. I mean, it's just so adult sounding, like something I'd heard walking into my dad's office. Even weirder is how much I like this album, and how sophisticated and grown-up I feel doing dishes to it. Philly-based duo Tracy Moore and Mercedes Martinez have breathed new life into the genre of R&B-style jazz by taking it back to its roots, relying more on the classic techniques of beautiful vocals, excellent instrumentation and intelligent lyrics than the long-winded, overly-long-held notes and Casio fills that permeate the genre today. The whole album just reeks of absolute mastery, from the pristine recording quality of the songs to the pacing to the voices of the two women themselves, which weave in and out of rich tapestries of guitar-and-bass heavy pieces punctuated with the occasional cello, Wurlitzer, and sax. And, while I wouldn't call this an "angry" album, this music is definitely an example of how sometimes it's the quieter, softer words that convey frustration and strength much better than somebody hanging over their microphone, screaming until their face turns blue.

© 2002 - Holly Day