Karin Plato-Blue Again
Stikjazz Music/Indie
There's an unmistakable intimacy here, a pervasive,
sensuous affair that your bound to have with Vancouver's Karin Plato.
Creating that 'one on one' with the listener is no easy feat considering
a lot of vocalist do their thing just to hear themselves sing. On Blue
Again, Plato creates a great revisit to the ghosts of the past, singing
standards like they were sung in your living room. What's this you say?
yet another album of standards? Well like a good joke some people know
how to deliver it perfectly and others are just wanna-be's this lady
is the real thing! Plato has the ability to pour her soul into her work,
completely understanding the direction her voice takes showing a sense
of modesty and respect for the great material on this album.
It's refreshing to hear a worthy take on Brazilian master Antonio Carlos
Jobim; Plato takes two turns here, first with the cool, spacious "Someone
To Light Up My Life" a powerful duet with Celso Machado and later
with the delicate "If You Never Come to Me,". There's a sense
of relaxation on Plato's own tunes. The title song creates a subtle
tension as she laments having one of those dark nights of the soul.
December a comforting, pretty song has a slight show-tunes feel, and
Plato sings it almost from a little girls point of view, a carefree
innocence that brought me back to the song time and time again.
Being a drummer, I'm not usually big on album's without percussion,
but in this case it's perfect. Producer Torben Oxbol's no preservatives
added approach to the overall sound of this cd give's Plato's Delicious
voice a lot of room to play around. Kudos also go out to Guitarist's
Bill Coon and Oliver Gannon for playing in the minimal vein and not
noodling away the focus off Plato. Oxbols Bass is a standout on Cole
Porter's Love For Sale the track with the most legs on the album it
has a smoothness that is meant to be savored showcasing musicians truly
in sync. This is clean imaginative mellow jazz that you will enjoy for
years. Blue Again is a brilliant step forward for Karin Plato.
By John Beaudin
