A long time ago I reviewed a CD by singer and composer Aimée Allen. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she had a connection with music from an early age. During her childhood it was traditional jazz, and Aimée sang in a cappella jazz groups during her school days.

After graduating, she moved to Paris, where she performed in jazz clubs and festivals. The deep connection between the French-speaking public and Brazilian bossa nova led her to found Les Bossa Novices, a Parisian group dedicated to bossa and jazz.

Now she regularly performs in New York City, but also tours. Standards and Bossa are part of her repertoire, but she also performs original songs. On this new album she brings songs that deal with change, large and small, and the individual and collective actions that result from it.

In addition, she leads the following ensemble: Grammy Award-nominated pianist Toru Dodo, world-renowned bassist François Moutin, drummer Kush Abadey, guitarist Tony Romano, and trumpeter Noah Allen, her cousin. Because through those adjustments, we are the instrument of that change.

This is therefore music of catalysis and connection. 'Little Sunflower' is a cover by Freddie Hubbard & Al Jarreau, followed by the original 'Earth Is Waiting', about climate change. In it she sings that action is required. “Quantum Entanglements” is actually a meditation, followed by the Chick Corea medley “Crystal Silence / 500 Miles High”, actually a tribute.

The classic 'Star Eyes' is largely delivered here partly as a duet between voice and drum. 'Love's Crescendo' floats on a sensual, soulful groove, after which 'Reaction Time' switches to an up-tempo drum 'n bass beat.

Aimée wrote a text on Mozart's 'Mortally Immortal (Requiem)', so that it becomes a jazzy mass, which is dedicated to the victims of the Corona pandemic. This is followed by 4 more original songs, "The Comet's Tail", "Man Ripples Through Time" (a tribute to the late George Floyd), "Hidden Place" and "Worlds Collide", about 2 people uniting.

An original facet of Aimée's talent, although I personally prefer Bossa nova.




 
   
  


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Aimée Allen



Tracks:

Little Sunflower
Earth is Waiting
Quantum Entanglements
Crystal Silence / 500 Miles High
Star Eyes
Love’s Crescendo
Reaction Time
Mortally Immortal (Requiem)
The Comet’s Tail
Man Ripples Through Time
Hidden Place
Worlds Collide



PLAYERS INSTRUMENT:
Aimée Allen - voice
Toru Dodo - piano
François Moutin - bass
Kush Abadey - drums
Tony Romano - guitar (track 2)
Noah Allen - trumpet (track 4)

CREDITS:
Aimée Allen - producer
Michael Perez-Cisneros - sound engineer
Misha Piatigorsky - sound editing
Brian Montgomery - sound mixing
Alan Silverman - mastering
Janis Wilkins - photography
Ksenia La Hun - illustrations
Recorded at Big Orange Sheep in NYC
on July 31 & August 1, 2021

TOUR DATES:
European Tour:
Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8pm
Aimée Allen w/ Alex Webb Trio
Hampstead Jazz Club
The Duke of Hamilton
23-25 New End
Hampstead,
NW3 1JD London, England

Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 8:30 pm
Aimée Allen Quartet
w/ Karim Blal, François & Louis Moutin
Sunset
60 rue des Lombards
75001 Paris, France
Friday, October 21, 2022, 7pm

Aimée Allen Quartet
w/ Karim Blal, François & Louis Moutin
Chorus
Avenue Mon-Repos 3
Lausanne, Switzerland 1005