| On her fourth CD as a leader violinist Jenny Scheinman fronts a septet including guitarist Bill Frisell and trumpeter Ron Miles. Timeless yet wholly contemporary, and with a sonic palette that's as fresh as it is familiar, Scheinman's personal take on Americana is as lyrical as it is idiosyncratic, as tender and moving as it is wry and powerfully evocative. Filled with selfless performances from a group of players with nothing to prove, 12 Songs represents a significant milestone in a career already filled with high points. ...It maintains an aura of wistful lyricism and dreamy self-reflection, not unlike the music of (Norah) Jones. But the songs are structurally diverse, ranging from the gently twangy "Song of the Open Road" to the circus march "Moe Hawk" to the sepia-tinged border postcard "Satellite." More crucially, the album's septet consists of musicians who, like Ms. Scheinman, playfully apply jazz techniques to many varieties of folk music.
Nate Chinen
New York Times [September 9, 2005]
Ms. Scheinman is a violinist who has been working out her own marvelous path through jazz from the 1920's and the 1960's and possibly the future - as well as calypso, French musette, Brazilian choro and about 10 other genres. In doing so, she has made remarkably cohesive albums; "12 Songs," with a septet including Bill Frisell on guitar, is her best so far.
Ben Ratliff
New York Times [September 11, 2005]
4 stars. Scheinman puts her own spin on the quirky sound guitarist Bill Frisell minted a decadre or so ago. Off-kilter soundtracks for unseen film shorts, these 12 wonderful wordless songs feature some Frisell regulars, and the guitarist himself is in magnificently droll form.
John Corbett
Downbeat [October, 2005] |