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Annie Barbazza — Annie's Playlist 3
(Bandcamp Dark Companion DCE06, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-10-29

Annie's Playlist 3 Cover art

Back in 2012, Greg Lake discovered singer Annie Barbazza and was intrigued by her voice. He began sending her “commissions” — suggestions to record particular cover songs all by herself, using instruments she could play. She then sent him the recordings, which he critiqued for her musical education. At some point they started sounding so good that he encouraged her to play shows, and in 2015, the first Annie’s Playlist collection was released. It featured Barbazza on vocals, piano, and acoustic guitar along with Lorenzo Trecordi on acoustic and electric guitar plus flute. A second collection followed two years later, shortly after Lake’s death. When the world went into pandemic lockdown in 2020, Barbazza presented streaming versions of these shows, this time entirely solo, chooing new songs to cover. The songs on Annie’s Playlist 3 are taken from three shows, and include an eclectic range of covers as well as a number of her own compositions. We hear songs by Brian Eno, Daevid Allen, King Crimson, Nick Drake, Robyn Hitchcock, Robert Wyatt, Shellyan Orphan, and Claudio Rocchi (formerly of Stormy Six). The minimal presentations feature piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and harmonium, and in all cases, it’s the voice that is front and center, with a very pleasing alto tone. She is a masterful interpreter of lyrics, and uses her range to good advantage. Obviously this is not a recording for danding or partying, but when you’re in the mood for a singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice, Annie Barbazza is a great choice, and her material, leaning on progressive and psychedelic rock as it does, is sure to bring a smile to many faces.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Annie Barbazza

More info
http://darkcompanionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/annies-playlist-3-the-streaming-concerts

 

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