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Home , Blues for Lady Day, Celebrating Sinatra, Etta Jones, Jeanne Lee, Judi Silvano, Mal Waldron

Website: judisilvano.com Booking: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Tel: 914 213-2992 Vocalist, Composer, Lyricist

Riding a Zephyr

One of the last recordings of pianist , who died early in December at 77, is an unusual duo collaboration with vocalist Judi Silvano, Riding a Zephyr. This Soul Note/Black Saint CD features 8 wonderful Waldron compositions, some with adroit lyrics by Silvano and 2 of her compositions. Together the two find some beautiful places on the scale of melody and invention.” Keith Spore, Milwaukee Journal

“Pianist Mal Waldron features as the sole musical accompaniment to vocalist Judi Silvano on the recent Soul Note album Riding a Zephyr. Waldron was in 's band for her final two years. Waldron wrote or co-wrote most of the music on this album which features beautifully simple, understated piano giving room to Silvano's delightful phrasing and playful scatting.” OutSight Home Page, new-sounds.net

“Judi Silvano and Mal Waldron's Riding a Zephyr was recorded in during Judi's European tour in the year 2000. Mal's piano warmly embraces Silvano's vocals which thoughtfully interpret his original compositions along with some of her own. It is a hearwarming duo.” Swing Journal, JAPAN

“Waldron, the pianist on this duo outing recorded in his adopted home of Brussels on Nov. 8, 2000, died on Dec. 2 of cancer. He was either 76 or 77 depending on which source you believe. He recorded prolifically but not often with singers - that said, one of his most visible gigs was as Billie Holiday’s last accompanist (he was with Lady Day from 1957 up to the time of her death in ’59). He also recorded with the late . All of this to say that this is one of those rarities, just Mal’s excellent piano and the marvellous voice of the relatively unsung Judi Silvano. Ten very musical tracks, most written by Mal, an excellent composer - his "" has become a and it’s here along with "Cattin’", "All Night Through" and the set closer, "Mal Waldron", written by Mal, Judi and her husband, . Ms. Silvano is also a composer of note and "Dust" is hers, as is the title piece, one of the finest of the recent vocal releases in the jazz field. Rated:9.5 out of 10.” Len Dobbin, The Montreal Mirror

“This is an unusual CD collection in which jazz vocalist Judi Silvano contributes lyrics to the classic songs of pianist/composer Mal Waldron, and both perform the result together. And the result is a winning combination which will please jazz fans everywhere. There are 10 songs on the

Judi Silvano Riding a Zephyr Reviews Page 1 of 5 CD. Among them are found "You", "Finding My Love", "Soul Eyes", "Eyes On You", "Riding A Zephyr", "Dust", to name a few from a fine collection.”

“The singing is crisp, clear, and wide-ranging, and the piano performances reveal Mal Waldron is at his finest which makes this collection enjoyable! Judi Silvano can handle scat with ease, and she does some innovative work with this jazz vocal art form in some of the songs. Judi Silvano and Mal Waldron together have created a nice sound while RIDING A ZEPHYR. Entertaining!” Lee Prosser, jazzreview.com

“For Riding a Zephyr, Silvano picked Waldron tunes mainly from the late 1950s when he was the house pianist and arranger for Prestige. Silvano wrote lyrics for three of the tunes and contributed two of her own compositions. (Five are by Waldron alone.) One of Waldron's compositions, "Soul Eyes", has become a standard and the version here makes good use of space and has a nice Waldron solo. Silvano has an impressive display of overdubbed scatting on "Cattin'". On the introspective tune "Finding My Love" (aka "Empty Street"), she adds corresponding lyrics about being alone, but still having hope. Throughout the session, Waldron lays down his distinctive rumbling bass chords with his left hand and doesn't play more than is needed with his right. Silvano's singing is direct and is a good match for Waldron's dry style; she aims for the heart of a song and hits her target.” Alan Lankin, Jazzmatazz

“This marvelous duet recognizes the growing awareness of Waldron as a cultural phenomenon through carefully selected songs that depict Silvano's appreciation of his musical life. Produced by Judi Silvano, 10 songs written or co-written by this dynamic duo command your attention - especially to those written by Mal Waldron during the 50s when he was with the Prestige recording label.

“Silvano has added new lyrics to some of the songs and despite this being her first piano/voice duet session, she keeps stride with Waldron's seasoned piano playing and provides a comprehensive balance to this program. Waldron uses a sparse modal approach to the duets - comping and improvising only when necessary to give her vocals more depth and more potential for thinking in jazz. Best bets on this classic are the melodic elements the duo uses, and their distinctions between the American jazz forms and underpinnings of European musical forms integrated by the Belgium-based pianist.” Sounds Of Timeless Jazz

“She's been flirting with us, Judi Silvano has, these past few years. Her wordless vocalese on the Joe Lovano/Gunther Schuller masterpiece, Rush Hour; and again on Joe Lovano's fine CD from '96; and more recently on 's gorgeous and overlooked Fourth World. Great sounds, but sideperson roles; not enough of Judi Silvano. The flirtation is not by design, though. She's given us our shot at romance with three memorable CDs of her own that somehow haven't gotten the audience they deserve, most recently with the near-perfect Songs I Wrote or Wish I Did on JSL Records.

“This time out Judi brings her three octave range, a free-flowing delivery, and the finest scatting skills out there to Riding a Zephyr, her collaboration with American expatriate composer/jazz legend Mal Waldron.Waldron has written dozens of songs that have become jazz standards, and has worked with the best--Billie Holiday, , --and he continues to do so with this duo CD with Judi Silvano.

Judi Silvano Riding a Zephyr Reviews Page 2 of 5 “The duo setting suits Judi's vocal style well. The atmosphere is relaxed, with Waldron's piano work constructing some spare, skeletal (but structurally perfect) scaffoldings for the vocalist's free flung vocal style. The performance--recorded in just one four hour session, has that off-the-cuff, after hours feel, a couple of pro's getting together in the living room for a smoldering, low-key performance; after years of working toward their respective peaks of artistry.

“Dark hues, minor keys, no specific highlights. The CD is a ten tune highlight. O.K., Waldron's classic "Soul Eyes" keeps getting the repeat button treatment. Also "A Time for Duke", that opens with some of Judi's beautiful trademark scatting. Riding a Zephyr is a perfect follow-up and nice change of pace to Judi Silvano's Songs I Wrote or Wish I Did. A long term flirtation blossoming in the direction of a love affair.” Dan McClenaghan, allaboutjazz.com

“Veteran pianist Mal Waldron has accompanied everyone from Billie Holiday to Jeanne Lee to Abbey Lincoln over the years. Waldron, much to his credit, has a greater understanding of vocalists than many instrumentalists, and he enjoys a consistently strong rapport with Judi Silvano on Riding a Zephyr. Waldron, in fact, is the singer's only accompaniment on this CD, which was recorded in Brussels, Belgium, in 2000 and released by Italy's Soul Note label in 2002. Silvano uses no drums, bass, or horns this time -- only Waldron's acoustic piano -- and the results are strikingly intimate. Waldron's compositions are the CD's main focus; Silvano contributed a few songs, but most of the melodies are Waldron's (including the blues "Cattin'" and the dreamy ballad "Soul Eyes," which is his most famous piece). Silvano does her share of scatting on this session, and she successfully adds her own lyrics to "Empty Street" and "One by One" (two Waldron gems that are usually heard as instrumentals). Riding a Zephyr is an impressive, highly rewarding document of Silvano's encounter with Waldron” Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

“Riding a Zephyr is the vocal jazz Soul Note album from Judi Silvano solely accompanied by pianist Mal Waldron. Waldron was in Billie Holiday's band for her final two years. She gives her music a tasteful sprinkling of scat on a collection of delightful originals from the duo.” hEARD Magazine (Australia)

“Judi Silvano has been riding the crest of various waves, when she hasn’t been riding some gentler zephyrs, for the past decade. Not only has she found time to record her own CD’s, including the highly acclaimed and most recent CD appropriately entitled Songs I Wrote Or Wish I Did, but also she has, on her own, developed and refined a horn-like singing style on her husband Joe Lovano’s, CD’s like Rush Hour, Celebrating Sinatra and Universal Language. Actually, her voice is so distinctive on these instrumental CD’s that she now owns the style of looping vocal lines that intertwine with those of horns in unconventional arrangements, sometimes of well- known songs. While Silvano and Lovano work together continuously, she has carved out her own career, appearing with sidemen of her choice at various venues, not just in , but around the world.

“Such a global perspective prepared Silvano for her duo recording with expatriate jazz legend Mal Waldron, he of the multitude of memorable CD’s with the likes of Billie Holiday, , and . Waldron hasn’t been absent from the scene, although he has lived in Brussels for decades. Still, it has been difficult for him to maintain exposure in the United States, despite his steady output of recordings in Europe. Nonetheless, Waldron has continued to make a

Judi Silvano Riding a Zephyr Reviews Page 3 of 5 living of music by performing throughout Europe, and just as importantly, he was continued to compose.

“The twist of Riding A Zephyr is that Silvano has added words to several of Waldron’s compositions from the last 40 years, including "One By One", "Flickers" and "Empty Street". So, from the introductory lilt of "You" (at first a wordless waltz of cascading sixteenth notes and then lyrics like "I planned my life so carefully With dreams that you would someday see Eternity for you with me And hopefully today") to the ending tribute to Waldron ("When you hear the sound of Mal Waldron You know he is a giant of jazz. He played with Lady Day, and Max and all of the rest"), the duo treats its listeners to a stripped-down presentation of Waldron tunes that are deserving of much wider recognition. That recognition will come soon as the two of them tour the United States, allowing audiences to be close up and personal with the artists who obviously connect so well while performing this music.

“One of the surprises of Riding A Zephyr is how brooding, skeletal and impressionistic Waldron’s music is, considering the fact that he accompanied numerous jazz singers and adopted the bebop vocabulary effortlessly for classic sessions. But, like Silvano, Waldron grew up listening to classical music, and some of those influences, including Satie and and Chopin. Waldron’s "Finding My Love" creates images of pensiveness and solitude, even before Silvano comes in with the words. His most famous tune, "Soul Eyes", is notable on Riding A Zephyr not by the mere fact of its inclusion, but by the revelation of its similarity to the mood and changes of Waldron’s other thought-provoking compositions, like the likewise minor-keyed "All Night Through". Silvano’s distinctive soprano range and Waldron’s mature and non-ostentatious style combine for a notable CD that is quite unlike any other released this year." Don Williamson, jazzreview.com

“During his lifetime Mal Waldron teamed with some great jazz musicians, including Billie Holiday. He was never afraid of taking chances with his music, often flying in the face of convention. He chose to express himself in modes that gave unusual shape and texture to his compositions. Those traits are in evidence here. In one of his last recordings, he finds the right complement in another singer, Judi Silvano, who gives voice to song with an assurance that delves deep into the pith of the words. Waldron’s music can take unusual twists. He can jump into the angular with a quick turn while coasting along a straight line. He can loosen whorls of sound, the bass thundering and then glide into the middle register. In the quieter moments he creates textures bathed in deep emotional beauty, of which "Soul Eyes" is the exemplar here, his playing setting the mood for Silvano who wraps herself round it for a stunning piece of work. Silvano has a pliable voice, the timbre deep and warm. She builds atmosphere convincingly, making loneliness a wrenching experience on "Finding My Love". The dense permutations of "Eyes On You" serve to spotlight her vocalese, with Waldron casting a spell through jagged lines that slip into a cascade before coming back full circle. Silvano can also whoop it up, scatting with verve and abandon while doing some "Cattin’", even if the vocals are overdubbed and layered. Oddly enough the last song here, "Mal Waldron", is a tribute from Silvano and Joe Lovano that succinctly encapsulates his presence on the scene. It turns out to be an appropriate eulogy." Jerry D'Souza, allaboutjazz.com

“By coincidence, I was listening to this marvelous disc the day that Mal Waldron died. Home in bed, ill, the artistry of Waldron and vocalist Judi Silvano, warmed me like an extra blanket, and stimulated my flagging energy like a shot of strong medicine.

Judi Silvano Riding a Zephyr Reviews Page 4 of 5 “Waldron's music has always had that effect. From the mid-1950's through his last recordings, his piano playing has been a boon to everyone from Billie Holiday to Steve Lacy, from Eric Dolphy to George Haslam. Always looking for new experiences (he once told journalist Mike Zwerin that he no longer answered questions about Holiday because he preferred not to live in the past), Waldron was a pianist whose elegant constructions held a nobility worthy of a Claudio Arrau or an Arthur Rubinstein, and whose grasp of the deep blues intrinsic to Jazz placed him on a par with or , whose economy of means was a spiritual cousin. Listening to Waldron build a composition, or an improvisation, from his characteristic low-end dramatics to a heady swirl of notes and overtones, is a true balm for the soul.

“This duet session is a particularly valuable one, as Waldron and Silvano reverberate with each other with special empathy. Although she has recorded as a leader since 1991, many Cadence readers will know Silvano from her work with saxophonist Joe Lovano. Here, given co-leader billing, she gives ample proof that hers is one of the most satisfying Jazz voices around today. Her rich, womanly tone can travel straight-ahead with classic phrasing on a tune like "Finding My Love", swing like Ella Fitzgerald on "Cattinâ" (where she multi-tracks herself into a whole section), or go into extended areas, as on her own "Dust", a haunting piece for wordless vocal and piano. She shares with one of her teachers, the late Jeanne Lee, a lingering soulfulness that resonates not from words or technique, but from inside.

“In this sense, she is a perfect partner for Waldron. The stop-time verses of "Eyes On You" (based on Mal's "One By One") arise from an almost lieder-like piano opening, its starkness implying only a single character in the scene about the unfold. Silvano's lyrics open up the narrative from her observer's viewpoint, after which her wordless improvisation suggests further connection. Waldron's solo heightens the tension with Bach-like architecture, culminating in a repeated blues figure that leads him back to more Silvano; her final passage has a ghostly resonance whose emotional complexity is dazzling. An eight-minute version o f Waldron's classic "Soul Eyes" is practically definitive, while the seven-minute title track, all wordless vocal and piano, evokes heaven and earth like a lone worshipper in a huge cathedral. In the days after a musician's passing, it's tempting to hyperbolize their work to celebrate the legend, but there's no hype here: this is a soul-enriching hour of music performed at master level by two kindred spirits.” Larry Nai, Cadence Magazine

Judi Silvano Riding a Zephyr Reviews Page 5 of 5