Description
Parissa Bouas – The Full Force of the wind
CD review by Terry Carlan
TN1894-71 – $15 Published in TN152 Nov 22
The title of the CD conjures up a tempest and it starts with an interesting song called Sad Eyes.
It is a wonderfully rhythmic track that sounds like it is being played in the far reaches of a smoky alley by inner city recalcitrant gypsy musicians in raggedy suits.
Very accomplished musicians.
Let me paint the picture.
Imagine an alley outside a theatre and Parissa Bouas comes out the side door for a break in-between the production she’s starring in.
The light floods the alley.
There’s a bunch of musicians gathered in the corner.
They lift their heads and look at her moodily.
She is a striking figure against the backlight.
Parissa looks at them, rubs her hands together to warm them, and prepares to go back in.
She stops when she hears the sweet sound of a saw pierce the night air.
A saw and a contrabass and percussion that set up a gentle rhythm that gets her foot tapping.
She turns around slowly and comes down the steps.
She sings a lament in a voice that floats between here and the sad eyes of her lover lost.
A bandoneon (like a concertina) plays a broken lead that perfectly matches the feeling and the male chorus unites behind her.
The night closes in.
Beautiful.
This is an album that is steeped in the world of Billie Holiday and Madeline Peyroux.
Beautifully sung and the arrangements are rich and quirky.
Fabulous.
Musically, this EP could be the lovechild of Billie Holiday and Tom Waits meeting in a Parisian nightclub, where Gypsies play songs of love and loss, with an occasional distinctly South American twist.
Dance with me – The eclectic band of musicians have followed her inside.
Back on the stage.
A dance number. Rhumba.
Trumpet and sax front line.
Your feet are tapping.
You’re rocking in the chair.
A beautiful muted trumpet solo. Edgy.
The bass keeps it moving.
Sandpaper. Sandpaper!
Lovely classical guitar solo.
Nothing’s gonna last – The beautiful voice leads you to places and then steers you away and the music is there and not there in different shades with her.
A beautiful balance between words and music.
What’s life about – Wistful.
About life and living and leaving.
There is a lot going on in anyone’s life and thinking about it is just one small part of being alive.
And there’s loss.
The music and the voice carry you into a world of thought and while the voice sets a scene for you, the musicians take you on a nuanced look behind the words.
Honey and candlelight – Bounce. Rhyme.
Don’t want to let you go.
Beautifully sung and once again the music behind is superb.
The full force of the wind – Gentle. Relaxed.
A lovely observation.
Beautifully sung and beautifully played.
I’m full of superlatives for this album.
Worth buying and listening to over and over.
Michael Hollanders and Parissa Bouas have done a wonderful job on the arrangements and production.
The voice is sublime and the musicians are superb.
All songs except ‘Sad Eyes written by Parissa.
