Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kristin Korb: Beyond the Moon

Kristin Korb: Beyond the Moon

By Tyran Grillo
August 12, 2017
View read count

Kristin Korb

bass
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Kristin Korb is a jewel of jewels. The bassist and vocalist commands both of her instruments with panache, engaging them simultaneously with an ease comparable to breathing. Although Beyond the Moon is her eighth disc, in some ways it feels like her first. Not because it lacks evolution, but because it leaps with such wide-eyed conviction. Jadedness is a stranger in the Land of Korb.

This time around, the focus is on Johnny Mercer, whose evocative lyrics—most familiar, but some recently unearthed—find warm homes in the music of Richard Whiting,

Jimmy Rowles

piano
1918 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Rowles,

Harry Warren

" data-original-title="" title="">Harry Warren,

Lionel Hampton

vibraphone
1908 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Lionel Hampton,

Jerome Kern

arranger
1895 - 1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Jerome Kern,

Henry Mancini

composer / conductor
1924 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Mancini, and, perhaps most significantly, Korb herself. Supported by pianist

Magnus Hjorth

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Magnus Hjorth and drummer

Snorre Kirk

drums
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Snorre Kirk, she whisks her way through sun-kissed renditions of "Too Marvelous for Words" and "Jeepers Creepers." Both are noteworthy for the bandleader's scatting skills, and for avoiding the pitfalls of over-interpretation. The latter holds true even for Hollywood staples like "I'm Old Fashioned" and "Moon River," which in such attentively tailored clothing feel like characters from deleted scenes.

In addition to the equilateral musicianship of the trio as a whole, Korb brings tactility to her diction, thus giving plenty of opportunity to bask in the delights of Mercer's wordsmithery. Her take on "Baby Don't You Quit Now" makes such bon mots as "Every kiss I take is a piece of cake / And to give me a sample was your first mistake" glisten anew. Also remarkable is her crisply rendered "Midnight Sun." This poetic equation of love and natural wonders finds Korb emoting with surety, expressing both bewilderment over the universe and belief in the love produced by its machinations: "Was there ever such a night, it's a thrill I still don't quite believe / And after you were gone there was still some stardust on my sleeve."

The best-kept secrets here are Korb's own contributions to the songbook, as these underscore both the talents of her songwriting and her bandmates' ability to fill in the blanks without ever stepping on each other's toes. For "Here You Are," Korb wrote music around lyrics culled from the Mercer archives. The result is exactly the kind of rhythmic and melodic space in which the trio is so comfortable. "Right Under My Eyes" (with lyrics adapted by Korb and music by her and Hjorth) hits that same sweet spot. Korb also pens two originals: "Twilight" and the album's title track. Both are things of soul-searching beauty.

The album's highlight, however, is "Something Tells Me (I'm Falling in Love)." This number, made famous by Louis Armstrong and Barry Manilow, feels reborn in a head-nodding arrangement by Otmaro Ruiz. Korb's soloing is muscular yet ever-lyrical, and her voice adds grit to the wax-on-wax-off symmetry of Hjorth and Kirk.

Whatever the source of this potion, a characteristic balance of earth, wind, and fire makes it all go down smooth.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Too Marvelous For Words; Baby Don��t You Quit Now; Something Tells Me; Midnight Sun; Jeepers Creepers; Twilight; I��m Old Fashioned; Beyond the Moon; Here You Are; Moon River; Right Under My Eyes.

Personnel

Kristin Korb

bass

Kristin Korb: bass & vocals; Magnus Hjorth: piano; Snorre Kirk: drums.

Album information

Title: Beyond the Moon | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: DoubleK Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Instinct
< Previous

With You In Mind
Next >

Kristin Korb Concerts

Sep 26 Fri

Kristin Korb Trio: Eurythmics Vs. Jazz

BIX Jazzclub
Stuttgart, Germany

Sep 27 Sat

Kristin Korb Trio Ft. Craig Handy: Jazz Vs. Eurythmics

Jazz Bar Vogler
Munich, Germany

Sep 29 Mon

Kristin Korb Trio: Eurythmics Vs. Jazz

Ella & Louis
Mannheim, Germany

Oct 8 Wed

Kristin Korb

Coiled Wines
Garden City, ID

Oct 11 Sat

Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective Ft. Kristin Korb

Lockwood Performing Arts Center
Lockwood, MT

Oct 15 Wed

Kristin Korb Trio (ft. Dawn Clement And Jim White)

The Muse Performance Space
Lafayette, CO

Oct 18 Sat

Kristin Korb Trio

Let It Be
Waukesha, WI

Oct 23 Thu

Kristin Korb

Winter's Jazz Club
Chicago, IL

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.