Linda Marks’ latest CD Moments is a fine document of where that Boston jazz lady is at. She might be at her zenith, a height where beauty and art combing into something memorable. Moments is loaded with fine originals and several outstanding renditions of some of the best recordings of our times. Combining her pop freedom with her jazz sophistication, Marks can impress the ear while soothing the soul with her lovely work. And she gets even better at it on this disc.
Opening with her piano ballad title track, “Moments,” Marks shows her voice and keyboard work in fine form. She sends her voice out over her piano melody in a sweet glide. It’s all in how she holds her vocal notes, milking emotion out of each. The contrast between her supple voice and the snappiness of her piano notes highlight the beauty of each. A saxophone line, wafting like a pleasant breeze throughout, is played by Dave Birkin to great effect, a second line of emotion buttressing all of the joy Marks expresses.
Marks has her way with Carol King’s “Up On The Roof,” turning its snappy melody into a strong anthem of personal freedom. Marks does keep some of the essence of the original, and she manages it well. Her voice maintains a pop sensibility while her piano work, Birkin’s sax flare, and the rhythm section’s bouncy push give it a peaceful, co-existing jazz vibe. Very few can balance multiple genres as well.
Eric Clapton’s “Change The World” gets a special treatment from Marks. She keeps it mellow and bright while finessing it into a jazz piece. Her piano tinkling and Birkin’s sax line make it funky as her voice sails over all with a silky smoothness. It’s a real treat for the ears to hear her sustain her vocal notes, riding up higher in her range.
Another of Marks’ originals, “The Lion,” stands out for the ways Marks dovetails her vocal line with her piano melody and Birkin’s flute line. Her voice moves like something coated in honey, easeful, with lovely sustains. Beneath her voice, her piano melody is a rippling line of little dancing notes, notes that move across her sonic landscape in polite baby steps. Meanwhile, Birkin’s flute notes moves as smoothly as the vocal, matching its glide and shiny prettiness. Clever.
“Into Your Heart,” originally written and recorded by Pat Humphries, allows Marks room to move her voice in a free, lilting, swaying melody line. Energy builds up in all the instruments and the voice because of the way the tune’s natural jaunt becomes a singer’s playground. Its bounce in the step requires the singer and upper register instruments to hoof it, and they do, beautifully.
Marks employs the violin skills of Jackie Damsky and the cello finesse of Valerie Thompson to create a haunting timbre for “Living On The Dark Side Of The Moon.” This whole affair feels like a dark folk song, with acoustic instruments conjuring all sorts of moody textures and forlorn emotions. Marks sings this one in a tense timbre, conveying a feeling of having trouble on her mind as she makes her way through a troubled land in a troubled time.
Marks offers a brighter original with “Life’s Mountaineers.” Here she sings of people who make a successful climb in their lives. Her voice is almost operatic as she rides the upper register in her vocal range. She injects emotion with each verse she sings in her lifted vocal state. Her voice remains beautifully strong as she mountaineers her precarious high notes.
Getting jazzy with “Boy From Ipanema,” Marks carefully balances her vocal sustains, injecting them into the right moments in Birkin’s peppy saxophone line. She gets a boost here from Miki Matsuki’s stick work, little smacks against the skins that gives this piece its essential push.
Getting into modern jazz by adapting Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why,” Marks shows her hipper side. This soft jazz has bit of neo noir in its vibe. Marks’ own composition, “In Your Life,” finds her stepping back into a pop ballad mode. Here, here voice shines with a brightness in her sustains and a polite bounce in her accompaniment.
Marks is lucky to have a friend and fellow musician like Dave Birkin to blow saxophone on her CDs. Here, he injects the breezy wave into “Mornin’,” the collaboration between Al Jarreau, Jay Graydon, and David Foster. Thankfully, Marks’ talents are a match for Birkin’s. He puffs out the morning glory sax line that she is able to sing over and around with her sliding scale of a voice.
“There’s A Fine, Fine Line” gives Marks a chance to show she can use tasteful self-restraint to finesse a song. She hits these Lopez, Marx lyrics with just the right touch. She infuses these lines with emotion without ever overwhelming the song. Instead, she makes the words sound newly born and very much alive with her happy bounce.
Linda Rhonstadt’s “Long, Long Time” becomes a quaint piano ballad in Marks’ hands. Marks keeps the initial pop attitude but stretches it into a piano ballad with her strong musical personality. Terry Smith’s acoustic guitar adds a firm backbone as well as nice musical color. It all comes together as one fine interpretation of a song we all know.
Marks works a similar magic with the Louis Armstrong popularized “What A Wonderful World,” turning the pop music hit into a decent acoustic six string supported piece. As usual, Marks’ voice travels the melody line like a perfect instrument in and of itself. Her timing is uncanny. She knows just when to insert a vocal sustain, usually at the most tender point in the guitar melody.
Marks closes out her album with Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” Flute, acoustic guitar, and the magic of Marks’s steadily pretty voice turn it into a sweeter version of itself. Marks knows how to make a listener feel what a song is all about, her emphasis on key words, and her sustains, always hitting their marks.
Linda Marks has accomplished a lot on this Moments CD. She has a good handful of her own fine originals. She offers the kind of fresh renditions of other artists work as well. This strong effort succeeds in many moments. Perfectly handled piano notes. Emotive vocals. Adept support players adding their own fine touches. These elements come together for Marks better than ever. Marks’ audience will be in for a real treat when they feast their ears on her new Moments CD at the CD Release Party at Club Passim on September 27, 2018.
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