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ow! This may be an unusual
way to start off a review of someone's music. Where have I been? Where has
Marilyn Harris been? Why am I the last to know about anything so good?
I thought that composing
and singing lyrics with meaning and hipness died some time ago on Hollywood
boulevard someplace. It seemed to me that the only way to hear good music, good
singers, and strong lyrics and have it all come together so cohesively was to
go revive the past and listen to the masters before us. Well, boys and girls: I
wuz wrong!
When I received this CD to
review, I figured probably another good vocalist not getting the recognition
deserved -the usual fare. But,
when playing her music for the first time and hearing the wild yet meaningful
lyrics, I immediately came to attention and have been at attention since. Marilyn, much like her contemporary bro
singer, Mark Winkler, delivers so much for the ears, heart and soul both
through their lyrics, style and delivery.
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The set starts off with
some wonderful lyrics on the poet and satirist Dorothy Parker who's flashing verbal exchanges and malicious wit
are brought home with some hip and fun lyrics by Marilyn.
There's a nice easy
sophisticated feeling on Ain't Got Nothin On You. Marilyn's lyrics are timely and to the point.
She's a poet in her own way and uses her lyrics to create a story. Nice Vibes
solo on this track by Bob Leatherbarrow.
Mark Winkler and Marilyn
combine their writing skills on Future Street. There's a swinging solo by Pete Christlieb to rock
the neat lines of the title song.
Mark and Marilyn combine
their vocal talents on their other collaborative line: Sunglasses In The
Rain. You can hear the heavy and
wonderful influence of Bobby Troup as this toe tapper undulates and feels good
all over, transporting us back to another time when it was hip to be hip.
Of all the tunes composed
by Marilyn on this CD, nothing can prepare you for the jolts and surprises
explored in My Dissipation. Starting off with an easy Bossa Nova
beat, Marilyn takes us to a very dark place with haunted reminders of a life
wasted on drugs, alcohol, gambling and all those neat things. I mean, Marilyn
gives us an entire mini-series in these lyrics. I guarantee listening to this
will leave you in awe, shock and come away feeling you've experienced something
very new. After all, isn't that what Art is all about?
There is a complete change
of mood on another collaborative (Winkler/Harris), In A Lonely Place that
is also very dark and moody. This is torch singing that highlights Marilyn's
excellent chops. There is also some tasty obbligato by the wonderful
trombonist, Andy Martin.
Winkler and Harris join
forces with the pen again on the chic and up-tempo line: Insomniac. The
arrangements have that old West Coast feeling and are contributed by Marilyn
Harris and Mark Wolfram. They complement her singing, which is well controlled
and articulate. Her sound is pleasant and you can sense a filtering of past
influences funneling through her resulting in a unique jazz sound all her own.
The lovely piece by
Anderson/Weill, Lost In The Stars,
the only standard on the set, gets a delightful and enchanting reading by
Marilyn. The flugelhorn accompaniment by Wayne Bergeron adds to the lushness
and softness of this gentle offering.
Don't Wanna Know is a medium tempoed blues line that is a finger
popper with some very hip lyrics, once again, by Marilyn. The melody line is reminiscent of a big
band chart. Two excellent soloists once again bless Marilyn: Andy Martin, trombone and Warren Luening
on flugelhorn.
Social consciousness once
again finds its way into another Winkler/Harris original, The Good Guys. This
poignant song tells of a society suddenly turning corrupt and greedy by its own
thirst for power and ambition.
The amazing thing about
Future Street is not only the remarkable writing and singing abilities of
Marilyn Harris. It goes beyond fine arrangements and solos. The lyrics to these
songs are hip and they swing like mad. This music goes beyond the boundaries of
music alone. There are stories here to make you smile, make you feel good and
to even shock you. I hope this is
just the start of more to come from this gifted artist interpreting it all from
humor to pathos through the magic of her song.
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