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CD Reviews: CD Review - Roger Cairns
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Posted by: editoron Sunday, March 01, 2009 - 09:49 PM |
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Title - Let's...
Label - AHP Records
Year - 2009
Reviewed By: Geannine Reid
Los Angeles based jazz vocalist Roger Cairns was not always a west coast crooner. Roger was born in the small coal mining village of Gilmerton, a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland in 1946. Roger’s talent and his penchant for music were neither nurtured nor welcomed by his family in a post-war Britain more concerned with survival than entertainment. So when he was 15 years old, Roger was sent off to complete a five-year mining engineering apprenticeship with the National Coal Board.
At 17, tired of being underground, Roger emerged from the bowels of the Scottish mines and headed for London to pursue his dream. Only two years later, Roger found himself touring Germany with London-based group Rare Amber. The group released a blues album on the Polydor label. After riding the wave of success to the end of that run, Cairns joined Rubber Duck, a nine-piece jazz-rock ensemble which caught the ear of Bee Gees manager Dick Ashby and earned Roger backstage congratulations from Jimi Hendrix.
Next Cairns was a member o f the group Listen, led by Essex-based composer Paul Abrahams. With Listen, Roger sang on BBC TV’s flagship Old Grey Whistle Test, where he performed live on Britain’s chief radio station, Radio One, and landed on the front page of the then best-selling music paper, Melody Maker. Listen also performed at the Queen Alexandria Hall in Kensington to the future Prime Minister Tony Blair on his nineteenth birthday.
More success followed as Roger secured an EMI recording contract, enjoyed radio airplay across the dial in the UK, and garnered widespread coverage in national and regional dailies. He fronted Roger Berteau and the Radiomen, released a couple of singles on the Hollywood label under the stage name John Laine, and landed an interview and performance on BBC TV’s nationwide Breakfast Time morning program. He was also a guest on Richard Baker’s celebrated Start the Week Radio 4 program.
Ok, so with this much experience under his belt…..Who is this man? A blues singer? A jazz singer? John Laine?...A Jack of all Trades? Well the second part of that statement would not fit because Cairns is a master of all. His latest CD, simply entitled Let’s…is obviously the culmination of a seasoned professional who has put in his countless hours of singing, performing and truly being there. You can hear it in his phrasing and his honest and sincere delivery of each lyric, hitting the emotional core of each song while shaking up the establishment with inventive and memorable arrangements.
Let’s…features the not so commonly covered, gems like “Bye, Bye” (Peter Gunn Theme), “Gravy Waltz” and “Sans Souci” further exhibit Cairns ability to create a memorable recording by giving the jazz listener something new to sink their teeth into.
“Bye Bye” is a hipster cut, dripping with cool, Cairns sings the lyric with conviction and believability making this obscure cut a rival to Sarah Vaughn’s remix by Max Sedgley without all the electronic bells and whistles. Nolan Shaheed adds just the right amount of spice to the cut with his saucy trumpet work that sasses up the cut. The bass clarinet work by Damon Zick gives the cut the perfect dark overtone to make it a believable Gunn theme.
“Gravy Waltz” kicks off with the impeccable bass work of Darek Oles who sets up the slower tempo rendition of this classic grooving tune. Cairns lays way back into the groove creating a late night feel of relaxin’ into your favorite chair, and eating them greasy, greasy finger licking leftovers from the night before…hmmm comfort food, and Cairns crooning his lullaby.
“Sans Souci” written by Sonny Burke and Peggy Lee is another wonderful addition to the Let’s…CD, showcasing the heart wrenching lyrics perfectly crafted by the late Peggy Lee, Cairns tackles this song with convincing poise. A poignant and haunting rendition of this Lee classic, almost transporting us back to yesteryear. Bobby Wilmore lends solid rhythm and texture to this piece with his expressive percussion. Oles tones are deep and moody; the group sways with hypnotic dark colors. Cairns perfectly executes the neo-exotica vibe of this cut.
An overall overview; Cairns singing generates many emotions at once. For example, few vocalists can convey such vulnerability and strength at the same time. However, Cairns approach never comes across as forced or strained. And it is certainly not complex; his tone resounds with purity and cool passion with every phrase. The musical accompaniment is also outstanding. This CD is a must have for jazz and easy listening connoisseurs.
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