Two Strong Reviews
Out of the Shadows, Ran’s new duet album with vocalist Christine Correa, received favorable reviews from Derek Taylor’s Master of a Small House blog and Peter Hum’s jazz blog in the Ottawa Citizen. Excerpts and links to the full reviews follow:
Master of a Small House: “The duo’s brief exploration of the Max Roach/Abbey Lincoln anthem ‘Mendacity’ cuts to the biting political quick of the piece. Correa conveys the indignation inherent in the lyrics as Blake pounds out a similarly stark pedal-weighted mood at the keys. … The pianist’s sound world is an intimate and eccentric one. As with much of his past work this set presents a welcome share of brow-raising challenges. Most memorably, it’s a session that continues to reveal secrets with each new audition.” Full review
Ottawa Citizen: “Songs such as ‘Out of the Shadows,’ ‘The Thrill is Gone,’ ‘Deep Song,’ ‘Goodbye,’ and ‘The Bad and the Beautiful’ deal with loss, loneliness and even betrayal — but Blake and Correa seem to be having a fantastic time plumbing the brooding subject matter. The sense of inspiration is palpable from both of them, as both grapple with the music material, wringing it for new kinds of expressiveness. … I generally shy away from using phrases such as ‘musical risk-takers’ and ‘players going out on a limb’ because we talking about jazz, not base jumping. But I was struck by Blake and Correa’s complete surrender to their brash and audacious way of rendering time-honored tunes. Of course, they wouldn’t have them any other way.” Full review