ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS…

Who said the concept album is dead! Don’t tell jazz singer/songwriter ALLEGRA LEVY whose just released long player is a sort of concept album – but not what you’d expect as a “concept themed” set!

First some background. In 2021 Ms Levy was  named one of the Top Ten Rising Stars among jazz vocalists in Downbeat’s Critics’ Poll.  Now based in New York, Allegra has vowed audiences at most of the top jazz venues in the city , including the Jazz Standard, the Blue Note, Birdland Theatre, Zinc Bar, and the Bitter End. Her debut album was 2014’s well-received ‘Lonely City’ and since then she’s released three more collections. Which brings us neatly to her latest offering – that concept album!

Well the concept is a very simple one. Allegra has chosen to deliver a 13 track  long player where every song is a question! I guess the clue’s in the title… ‘Out Of The Question’. The  project was the brainchild of Levy’s longtime collaborator, pianist Carmen Staaf, a winner of the Mary Lou Williams jazz piano competition, who currently serves as musical director for DeeDee Bridgewater. “She pointed out that some of the most beautiful songs are questions, not answers, and I became fascinated with the concept,” Levy says. “As I get older, I find that it really is more about the questions.”

Thus expect some familiar “question” songs from the Great American Song book – things like Cole Porter’s ‘What is This Thing Called Love?’, Legrand and the Bergman’s ‘What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?’ and (oddly maybe for a summer release) ‘What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?’. Then there’s some classic pop songs – Goffin and King’s ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’ and a surprise, innovative take on the Clash’s punk anthem ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go?’ All are given fresh, imaginative treatments and there’s plenty more vitality on two classic instrumental numbers for which Levy wrote lyrics: ‘Are You Real?’ by Benny Golson, and Horace Silver’s ‘Que Pasa?’ . Then there’s two of Levy’s originals as well, entitled ‘What’s In a Name?’ and ‘What Are You Waiting For?. Neither sound out of place in such august company.

Adding more cohesion to the set, the same band is used throughout – Carmen Staaf on piano, Allison Miller on drums, and Mimi Jones on bass, with special guests Roxy Coss on sax, Aubrey Johnson on backing vocals and Andrew Baird on guitar. Between them they craft an intriguing and interesting album – more questions than answers … maybe, but mighty fine innovative, contemporary vocal jazz all the same.

ALLEGRA LEVY: . Out of the Question out now via Steeple Chase Records.

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