Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke: Lean In

Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke: Lean In

By Geno Thackara
May 27, 2023
View read count

Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke: Lean In

With a voice as sweet and cool as a spring breeze,

Gretchen Parlato

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Gretchen Parlato would sound at home in any cozy jazz club from Paris to Sao Paulo. The sound of

" data-original-title="" title="">Lionel Loueke's voice and guitar is at least 60 percent rhythm, with his plucking and crooning having an innate percussive pulse running through it. Two decades of collaboration and close friendship are on display with Parlato and Loueke's first full duo-recording; Lean In shows the breadth of their globe-spanning interests and dazzling versatility, but most important is the heartfelt warmth through every moment.

The closeness is on display from the first minute, where the duo weave a catchy lead melody and begin scatting their way through the opener in flighty but clearly honed unison. They continue swooping and dipping up and down the scales through pop covers and eloquent originals alike. Loueke's guitar lines and vocal pops make the sound feel as full as that of a whole band already, but a delightfully simpatico rhythm section fills things out that much more in some well-chosen spots, percolating through wandering interludes and fetchingly slinky funk grooves alike.

The group makes a sunny whirl across practically the whole globe, bridging Benin with Brazil and singing in languages from three continents. Parlato's croon stays dreamy and appealing, even when singing of lost loves and ended relationships. Loueke coasts in step with equally fluid melodicism and unreserved cheer. It's a work all about connection, discovery and the simple joy of exploring together.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Akwe?; I Miss You; If I Knew; Okagbe?; Astronauta; Mi Wa Se; Muse; Nonvignon; Lean In; Painful Joy; Dou We?; Walking After You.

Personnel

Gretchen Parlato

vocals

Lionel Loueke

guitar

Additional Instrumentation

Burniss Travis: bass; Mark Guiliana: drums.

Album information

Title: Lean In | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Edition Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Samuel Blaser: As the Sea
< Previous

Bruno R?berg
Next >

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.