ILONA KNOPFLER
Some Kind Of Wonderful (Mack Ave Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Some Kind Of Wonderful introduces a new singer to the jazz scene, and while there are some remarkable performers already queued up, Ilona Knopfler is poised to move to the head of the line. It's not just her voice, which is crystalline and true, or her rich interpretive skills. The Paris born songstress adds another element that the track list on her debut CD hints at. It's a sensibility that allows her to see the jazz possibilities in a Zombies hit, or a Marshall Tucker Band tune.

It may be an element of her youth - at 27, she's about as far removed in time from some of the rock and pop songs she performs as previous generations of jazz singers were from the Great American Songbook pop hits that have become jazz standards. Whether it's adding a breezy swing spin to "It's The Time Of The Season" or finding the Latin groove in "Unchain My Heart," she brings a refreshingly original approach to some of the most unexpected material.

There are times when she leaves the arrangements pretty much as she found them - George Harrison's "Something" and Van Morrison's "Moondance" are good cases in point - but makes them her own simply through the strength of her performance, which displays both respect and affection for the material.

She's backed by a seasoned crew of jazzmen, with noteworthy contributions from pianist Eugene Maslov and guitarist Pat Kelley. The final result is the kind of album that wears out repeat buttons.

Track List:

Some Kind Of Wonderful * It's The Time Of The Season * Breaking Up Is Hard To Do * One * Something * Moondance * Alfie * Unchain My Heart * Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood * He's Not There * River Man * Never My Love * Can't You See

© 2003 - Shaun Dale