LAURA ZAKIAN - Minor Moments
Self Release
Laura Zakian (voice); Steve Lodder (piano); Simon Thorpe (bass); Nic France (drums); Paul Bartholomew (baritone saxophone); Martin Pyne (percussion)
Recorded 28th September, 2018 & 24th February, 2019
This five track EP from Laura Zakian is a brave, heartfelt and most welcome return for the singer after a period away from the music scene. Her previous album, Songs For Modern Lovers released some five years ago was a bold part homage to to Frank Sinatra's classic album Songs For Swinging Lovers, as well as featuring on more contemporary songs that Zakian grew up with. This new release therefore has a magnified importance for Laura as being the first recording for a while, and also marking a return to performing after her recent illness, thankfully now fully recovered, and she delivers a powerful set of all original material (another first), and in doing so has also created an enthralling writing partnership with composer, Martin Pyne that bodes well for future collaborations.
Minor Moments is a deeply personal account from Laura referencing the melancholic depression that gripped her for more than a year, yet also demonstrates the moments of light within the darkness, and the loved ones that are by our side through difficult times, giving way to an underlying optimism. Composer and percussionist, Martin Pyne has worked wonders in creating the perfect musical accompaniment for Laura's poignant words. You can feel the pain in 'Here Comes The Fall' superbly arranged for trio of piano, bass and drums, and the full band on Dreaming Life'. The uplifting 'Plainsong' features Zakian's husband, Paul Bartholomew's full bodied baritone saxophone shadowing the vocal line. This contrast between voice and saxophone is wonderfully exploited, yet seemingly underplayed, to give a delicious and often spine tingling sensibility to the compositions.
Much of the pleasure in this beautifully understated and reflective music is the complex emotions imparted in Laura's voice that can at once be strong, and then show a vulnerable fragility which is all captured perfectly in the title track where Laura's voice and Steve Lodder's exquisite piano playing make this a duet performance to relish.
This is a most welcome return from Laura and promises much for the future ahead.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Self Release
Laura Zakian (voice); Steve Lodder (piano); Simon Thorpe (bass); Nic France (drums); Paul Bartholomew (baritone saxophone); Martin Pyne (percussion)
Recorded 28th September, 2018 & 24th February, 2019
This five track EP from Laura Zakian is a brave, heartfelt and most welcome return for the singer after a period away from the music scene. Her previous album, Songs For Modern Lovers released some five years ago was a bold part homage to to Frank Sinatra's classic album Songs For Swinging Lovers, as well as featuring on more contemporary songs that Zakian grew up with. This new release therefore has a magnified importance for Laura as being the first recording for a while, and also marking a return to performing after her recent illness, thankfully now fully recovered, and she delivers a powerful set of all original material (another first), and in doing so has also created an enthralling writing partnership with composer, Martin Pyne that bodes well for future collaborations.
Minor Moments is a deeply personal account from Laura referencing the melancholic depression that gripped her for more than a year, yet also demonstrates the moments of light within the darkness, and the loved ones that are by our side through difficult times, giving way to an underlying optimism. Composer and percussionist, Martin Pyne has worked wonders in creating the perfect musical accompaniment for Laura's poignant words. You can feel the pain in 'Here Comes The Fall' superbly arranged for trio of piano, bass and drums, and the full band on Dreaming Life'. The uplifting 'Plainsong' features Zakian's husband, Paul Bartholomew's full bodied baritone saxophone shadowing the vocal line. This contrast between voice and saxophone is wonderfully exploited, yet seemingly underplayed, to give a delicious and often spine tingling sensibility to the compositions.
Much of the pleasure in this beautifully understated and reflective music is the complex emotions imparted in Laura's voice that can at once be strong, and then show a vulnerable fragility which is all captured perfectly in the title track where Laura's voice and Steve Lodder's exquisite piano playing make this a duet performance to relish.
This is a most welcome return from Laura and promises much for the future ahead.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
