Linda Marks’ latest album release, Songs At The Heart of Life, her second this year, beautifully captures where this Waltham, Massachusetts-based pianist-singer-songwriter is at in her life journey. Her singing and playing a light, sophisticated jazz; her lyrics shiny bright and gloriously hopeful.
Opening track “The River” has a folk flavored ebullience. It’s all in the emotions of the lyrics. Marks use of brief sustains adds relative emphasis as she caresses her lyrics and gracefully glides over a line of linty notes from her piano, Andy Daigle’s banjo, and Jackie Damsky’s forlorn violin line. The weave of voice and instruments keep this song feeling as deep as it speaks.
“Answer To A Prayer” finds Marks performing some of her loveliest coos. She sustains her soft, shiny voice to create a special movement in her song. Everything else here follows that kind of movement. Jackie Damsky’s violin line moves in a similar flow with occasional sustains. Mark’s piano line continues along like ripples in a stream. This sense of direction maintains the emotional current in this song’s message, highlighting the theme, keeping it aloft with plenty of lift and plenty of emotion.
A rendition of “Give Me Wings” feels like its in a cautious flight, something that is moving forward shyly, trepidatiously, Marks achieves this with careful placement of her minor key piano line and also by injecting Jackie Damsky’s tender, wafting violin line. While the song focuses lyrically on a demand for independence, Marks makes us feel it on a spiritual level, a need to leave the nest and find one’s route no matter how high one must dare.
A sprawling delight, “Treasure” travels down a delightful path of sweet, tuneful piano notes as well as Marks’ lovely, lilting vocal melody. It’s a treat for the ears to hear this lady spread her honey smooth vocal over a lofty, floating melody. The Jackie Damsky violin line purrs with Damskys tense bowing, motoring the backdrop with a fancy movement.
Marks takes her sweet time drawing her pretty vocal and everything else in “The Leopard.” Marks pleases the ear, owing to how she spreads the vocal line out over her brittle, tender piano melody as well as Valarie Thompson’s moody cello. The contrast between Mark’s high pretty voice and that low placed cello line amazes while highlighting the beauty of each. Mark’s voice moves as easefully as a violin line as she gets lift from simply feeling what her lyrics are all about and then projecting that emotion outward.
“Prayer For My Son” is an ode to Mark’s most cherished family member. A song of hope, Marks points toward the light at the end of a youth’s tunnel. While Mark’s piano line and some string instruments maintain an inner tension to suggest the challenges of life, Marks artfully creates a positive arc with a contrasting vocal delivery. Bravo.
Remaining in a very personal mode, Marks offers up “Our Vow.” While it is unclear which relationship she’s referring to, this singer-songwriter describes a positive scenario. She keeps the vibe warm, light, and high by hitting her high vocal notes, playing major key chords on her piano, and directing a violinist to put a backbone of beauty in it with a slightly darker tone. Perfect.
Delving into Americana territory with banjoist Andy Daigle, Marks takes on a “Virtual Pie In The Sky.” Bassist Craig Akin keeps the pulse here while Marks too focuses on the low end on her piano. This lets Daigle fill in the melody line with his earthy roots instrument, and it all makes for a witty accompaniment to a song wittily poking at the internet lifestyle.
Addressing her love for her pets, Marks performs tenderly on “The Purring Of Her Heart.” Gentle, emotive piano, a supportive violin tone,, and a sweet vocal express this singer-songwriter’s fondness for creatures who need human care.
“Welcome Magic Slumber Party” combines lead and harmony vocals in a unique way, each dancing a vocal line around in a thrust-parry maneuver. One feels an additional emotive current that expands this piece into an ebullience of feeling. Sensitive piano tinkling and a forlorn cello line compliment those currents, resulting in a three dimensional work. As usual, Marks’ vocals are a treat for the ear, finessing with great care the memories of an old friend from her young adulthood.
Closeout track “Words And Actions” eases into the listener’s mind with a sensitive cello line as well as a considerately paced piano chord progression. Marks’ voice hovers over her accompaniment like a songbird singing into your summertime window. Her lofty height lets her juxtapose her voice with the instruments in a way that makes them too feel lifted, suspended as they play out their tremendous feelings.
Marks, who seems to have a new release every six months, accomplishes much here on this Songs At The Heart Of Life album. She continues to focus mainly on her original songs and she continues to build on all of her vocal abilities, chiefly her skill at conveying a great deal of emotion without pretense or affected flair. She also maintains her ability to work her voice in just right amidst the flowing beauty of her accompaniment. Produced by Doug Hammer at his Dreamworld Production in Lynn, Massachusetts, and also featuring Mark Bishop Evans on guitar and backing vocals, this disc has a clarity that lets all of those sweet notes rise up like mist in the sunlight on a cold winter morning.
