PAPATAMUS REDUX

MARKEEZ RECORDS (RELEASED JUNE 23, 2025)

The directions for this new release from vocalist Gillian Margot and pianist Geoffrey Keezer are hidden in the lyrics of Jimmy Rowles’ “A Timeless Place (The Peacock),” one of ten tunes on this session — “Find a quiet place inside and listen.” Listen to the purity of Margot’s rich and smoky voice. Listen to the wonderfully witty accompaniment and inventive  solos from Keezer. Partners in music since 2014 and in life since 2016, the two worked together on five tracks on Keezer’s 2018 release On My Way to You, but surprisingly this is their first full session as a duo. They are the perfect match for this set — Margot caressing and manipulating the melodies while Keezer plays with the harmonies and rhythms of the tunes. Margot’s uncomplicated, yet evocative approach is perfect for standards such as “Blame It on My Youth,” “Day In, Day Out,“ “All My Tomorrows” and “Lush Life.”  She demonstrates her ability to reach high notes with her vocalese on Hermeto Pascoal’s “Joyce (Viva o Rio de Janeiro),” which brings percussionist Rogerio Boccato into the mix. Chick Corea’s “Eternal Child” also benefits from Margot’s floating vocalese as well as the Latin American punch from Keezer. On “Thou Swell,” Keezer’s strong left hand bass lines are the perfect accompaniment for Margot’s joyful scatting. The couple’s take of “A Timeless Place” is simply that — timeless with Margot’s lower sultry vocal and Keezer’s sublime accompaniment and solo. Keezer admits that the standards hold up because there’s a lot more happening harmonically and melodically than in most popular songs. Consequently, the less effective tunes on this session are the more contemporary ones — “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” written by Keezer’s mentor Donald Brown and Peter Gabriel’s “Here Comes the Flood, performed with guitarist Peter Sprague. Despite those two  tunes, my advice is to find a quiet place and listen to Gillian Margot and Geoffrey Keezer on their long overdue duo session.

BOTTOM LINE: Like a siren song, Gillian Margot’s opening swoop on “Blame It on My Youth” lures you into this recording. Unlike a siren song, however, there is nothing dangerous about this session of pure joy and beauty performed by Margot and piano playing husband Geoffrey Keezer. The two are perfect for one another and perfect for this set of ten tunes of familiar and some unfamiliar melodies.