Search - Sara Gazarek :: Return to You

Sara Gazarek has done it again...

THE-GO-BETWEEN | Valencia, CA United States | 06/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having seen her live at the Vic in Santa Monica on 2/22/07, The McCallum Theater in Palm Desert on 3/17/2007, and at the Catalina Jazz Club (aka Catalina Bar & Grill) in Hollywood on 4/23/07 with her previewing "most" of the songs on this album....it is just a pleasure to now have them in hand.



First off this album is in general a very mellow, mostly relective song list...with some very brightly lit exceptions ("Carey" by Joni Mitchell among others). Sara demonstrates a willing and highly competent ability to have musical expeditions beyond the safety of her very, upbeat, hopeful, easy going songs.. Her fans will appreciate all those "beyond-the-perimeter" efforts here.



The Billy Joel song "And So It Goes" trumps everything on this album IMHO ...and it translates from her live performances of this song to CD quite well...but it is obvious to see her do this piece in person that she is taken by the song almost like she was in a meditative trance....this song digs deep and you cannot avoid the cuts ....and the sequel on this album to this is probably the very aggressively sung piece written by Leonard Cohen, "Halleluah". It was surprising hearing her add this to her song list and her rendition of this with the wider acoustic capabilities of the McCallum left you stunned....it is an expansive composition..full of irony and Sara performed this flawlessly...maybe she will try Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" as was done by Jennifer Warnes and available on Amazon ..in a new ablum which I hope Sara is starting to do RIGHT NOW! The bass play of Erik Kertes is worth the price of admission on "Halleluah". This studio created version is perfect...



You have to add again that her accompanying group is simply the best ..wow......They are a stand alone trio in their own rights...Josh Nelson (keyboards), Erik Kertes on bass, and Matt Slocum, percussion....all understated and perfectly matched to Sara Gazarek's moods and talents...and timing....so if you get a chance to go to her concerts..you are in for a night!!..and Sara is very, very generous in terms of the length of her performance play list...so do not miss her in person...her voice in person is no different than on her albums...



And yes there was a 2nd album after "Yours" and I would consider this "Return to You" Sara Gazarek's 3rd album. She really should promote and pop out a zillion of that "2nd album" as well ...think they might be available from her on her site...."Sara Gazarek Live at the Jazz Bakery"...this was not "incidental music" by any strectch of the imagination and MUST be included as a major part of her work so far..has to be...end of argument.



Buy "Return to You" ...buy "Yours" if you don't already have it...



and of course "Live at the Jazz Bakery" if you can figure out a way to do it.....



See Gazarek in person each and every time you can.see her web site....it has all the dates......





Meanwhile we will wait impatiently for her next CD....for now we will just wear these three CD's out until they are no longer silver but clear!!!



Sara is going to be THE premier jazz vocalist for then next few decades. Here in "Return to You" she has broken some of the ground rules and went to areas where you would not have anticipated.....and we have gladly followed her....slick, sophisticated, smooth, upbeat IS her bedrock style but she is capable of soaring elsewhere....this album provides ample proof of her artistic capabilities and range!!!!"

Outstanding Jazz-Pop from a Gifted Young Singer

Rick Cornell | Reno, Nv USA | 07/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Amazon.com has put Sara Gazarek's "Yours" in my face for about a year and counting. When a multinational corporation does that to me, I tend to say "no" on principle. Not a good reason for ignoring Sara Gazarek, though, so I plunked down some cash on this and gave it a listen.



Maybe I should quit being so obstinate. This is an excellent recording. There is a group of fine young singers (I'm thinking of Jacqui Naylor, Erin Bode, Judith Owen and, to a lesser extent, Jackie Allen) who are jazz singers crossing into pop, and have released some good-to-great recordings in the past few years. This is toward the top of that milieu, and Sara Gazarek definitely deserves mention in the same breath with those others.



The first thing that hits me about this c.d. is how clean it sounds. Certainly Joel Moss and Chris Hobson, the sound engineers, deserve kudos for that; but I'm also talking about Sara Gazarek's voice. Her diction, phrasing, intonation and consistency of volume throughout the ranges of her voice are first-rate. And soundwise, her voice reminds me a lot of Karrin Allyson (and that's a very good thing!).



My favorites on this c.d. are: her gorgeous duet with pianist Josh Nelson on Billy Joel's "And So It Goes"; the addition of some even more gorgeous string bass bowing by Erik Kortes with Nelson on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"; and the closing track with strings, a heartfelt tribute to a mentor, Ludvig Girdland, entitled "Original 4."



As beautiful as those are, though, that is not to slight anything else on this c.d. (including and especially "Carey", a nod to the patron sainte of this group of singers, Joni Mitchell). The whole disc will get your alpha waves in order and put you into a state of bliss. It's worth a listen. No, it's worth a bunch of listens. RC



"

If this girl isn't the next BIG star.........,

Robert C. Hufford | Hopewell, VA USA | 08/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"....I shall be astonished. This is one of the very finest albums by a young jazz singer I have ever heard [actually, forget the qualifying adjective "young"; very finest...period]. Sara has the natural rhythms and style of one born to this music....and so few do. She has a voice of beauty and clarity that would turn many another fine singer green with envy.



The numbers here aren't as well known as some...Joni Mitchell's "Carey" and Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" are really wonderful....



Sara has the makings of a real legend...she's already one of the more accomplished singers you could ever want to hear. Let us all hope that the girl gets good management, and takes good care of her voice. We're eager for more...."