Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Kristin Berardi — The Light and the Dark
(Bandcamp Earshift EAR066, 2022, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-07-01

The Light and the Dark Cover art

Kristen Berardi’s The Light and the Dark is an album of mainstream vocal jazz. By “mainstream” I mean that the music doesn’t venture into rock, blues, pop, or R&B, and is squarely in the tradition of classic singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. The tunes are original, rather than selections from the catalog of jazz standards, but they’re approached in the conventional way, backed with a quartet of piano (Miro Sprague), bass (Marty Jaffe), drums (Jerome Jennings), and trumpet (Ingrid Jensen); guests provide saxophone (Troy Roberts) and bass (Sam Anning) on one track each. The players acquit themselves admirably, providing tasty frameworks for the songs and nice solos. Berardi, in addition to singing the lyrics, contributes wordless melodies and scat solos. She has a very pleasant voice, with excellent control and expressive flourishes, all within the jazz vocal idiom — no forays into avant-garde or experimental territory here. The tunes are well-written, with “He Was a Loaded Gun” and “Can’t Be Wrong” being particularly notable for their lyrics and melodies. Moods range from mellow and romantic to mildly energetic. The Light and the Dark is a worthy choice for listeners looking for some vocal jazz in the classic style.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Kristin Berardi

More info
http://kristinberardi.bandcamp.com/album/the-light-and-the-dark

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.