KADRI VOORAND & MIHKEL MÄLGAND
Kings Place; Saturday 11th November
Kings Place; Saturday 11th November
I was not prepared for Kadri Voorand and Mikhel Mälgand. I was at Kings Place for Andy Sheppard. The two Estonians seemed like an irritating wait before the main event. Kadri was on the left of the stage; Mikhel was in the centre. She started slowly. It was soon obvious that Voorand’s voice is extraordinary. She soars like an ethereal soprano and descends to earthy vehemence. Her expressive hands seem to draw the music out of her. The voice dips and she scats with a fierceness that is unnerving. Mälgand is just as expressive with the bass; he plucks, hits and drums the instrument. At one point he used an old music box. The bass shakes the hall especially when Voorand, vocally and electronically, hammers out a pulse in unison with him.
Voorand sings for much of the time in Estonian, texts and poetry. That does not matter. The quality of her voice and the range of tones that she can bring out make a her a musician rather than a vocalist. One feature of her performance is her effortless use of electronics. On occasions she uses two mikes feeding the signal two ways. Sometimes she samples herself. Dicing with technology can be risky and yet she manages to make it all seem effortless and natural. Voorand also uses the African thumb piano, melodica, glockenspiel and piano.
The voice is extraordinary. At time she is reminiscent of Annie Ross, Cleo Laine, Blossom Dearie, even Cathy Berberian. There is a richness in the middle range, a clarity and purity in the high range and earthiness in the lower reaches. She whispers; she shouts; she seduces,;she complains. She can sound like plain chant. She can range from coy to assertive, to sad, to bluesy. The fluidity with which she can range through the modes of her voice is stunning. Her piece ‘Armupurjus’ rocks with a ferocity and was all the more effective when it is all done with two people.
Mihkel Mälgand uses both double bass and 6-string electric bass and is one of Estonia’s most sought-after musicians. He has a solid, Mingus-style, rounded, rich tone. The strength of his playing is as important as Voorand’s voice.
Voorand won two awards at the Estonian Music Awards! the best female artist of the Year and best jazz album of the year! There is a recent album ‘Kosmogooniline etüüd’ (Cosmogonic etude) and just recently ‘Armupurjus’ which was in 2017 awarded as the best jazz album of the year by Estonian Music Awards. Both have reached up to the Europe Jazz Media Top 10. Voorand has also contributed to the recent recording of Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits’ album Mirror (ECM New Series).
The music that evening was jubilant, elated and utterly fresh. The two of them create patterns of varied intensities. These were not songs but aspects of a sound world. The sound of surprise was back with a vengeance.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Voorand sings for much of the time in Estonian, texts and poetry. That does not matter. The quality of her voice and the range of tones that she can bring out make a her a musician rather than a vocalist. One feature of her performance is her effortless use of electronics. On occasions she uses two mikes feeding the signal two ways. Sometimes she samples herself. Dicing with technology can be risky and yet she manages to make it all seem effortless and natural. Voorand also uses the African thumb piano, melodica, glockenspiel and piano.
The voice is extraordinary. At time she is reminiscent of Annie Ross, Cleo Laine, Blossom Dearie, even Cathy Berberian. There is a richness in the middle range, a clarity and purity in the high range and earthiness in the lower reaches. She whispers; she shouts; she seduces,;she complains. She can sound like plain chant. She can range from coy to assertive, to sad, to bluesy. The fluidity with which she can range through the modes of her voice is stunning. Her piece ‘Armupurjus’ rocks with a ferocity and was all the more effective when it is all done with two people.
Mihkel Mälgand uses both double bass and 6-string electric bass and is one of Estonia’s most sought-after musicians. He has a solid, Mingus-style, rounded, rich tone. The strength of his playing is as important as Voorand’s voice.
Voorand won two awards at the Estonian Music Awards! the best female artist of the Year and best jazz album of the year! There is a recent album ‘Kosmogooniline etüüd’ (Cosmogonic etude) and just recently ‘Armupurjus’ which was in 2017 awarded as the best jazz album of the year by Estonian Music Awards. Both have reached up to the Europe Jazz Media Top 10. Voorand has also contributed to the recent recording of Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits’ album Mirror (ECM New Series).
The music that evening was jubilant, elated and utterly fresh. The two of them create patterns of varied intensities. These were not songs but aspects of a sound world. The sound of surprise was back with a vengeance.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
