PAPATAMUS REDUX

FRESH SOUND/NEW TALENT 669. (RECORDED APRIL 2022)

Every great painting deserves an equally impressive frame. In the case of Life’s a Gig, vocalist Vanisha Gould is the picture, while pianist Chris McCarthy provides the ideal frame. Rather than merely imitating her inspirations (Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, etc.), Gould makes each song her own. Whether it’s delivering the lyrics or scatting, she avoids the cliches of those who came before her and establishes her own take on familiar tunes such as “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” No Moon at All,” and “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.”  Her own composition, “Fall in Love with Me in Fall,” as well as her lyrics to McCoy Tyner’s “Aisha” are sure to be added to the jazz canon. Whether it’s single-note runs, Monkish accents or perfectly placed arpeggios, McCarthy accompaniment envelops Gould’s delivery in a tasteful and always refreshing approach. With the addition of viola player Kayla Williams on two tracks, this recording is simply a “masterpiece.”

BOTTOM LINE: The lyrics to Vanisha Gould’s song “Fall in Love with Me in Fall” contain the phrase “pure and true.” There is no better way to describe Life’s a Gig. There is a sense of purity and truth in the sensual and soulful voice of Gould as well as the sensitivity and imaginative accompaniment of pianist Chris McCarthy.