Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Peter Eldridge: Mad Heaven

Peter Eldridge: Mad Heaven

By Dan Bilawsky
February 8, 2011
View read count

"Easy listening" is a term that's often associated with bland, tepid material which serves as background fodder in supermarkets and shopping malls, but the term isn't negative by nature. Easy listening has a positive side, and Peter Eldridge's Mad Heaven is the proof. Eldridge packages charming pieces in an easy-to-swallow format that belies the sophistication behind his music, and provides an easy-on-the-ears entrance point into the world of modern jazz vocals.

Eldridge's arranging skills have always been second to none, and he demonstrates this time and again throughout this Brazilian-tinged album. Sometimes he deftly mixes alto flute and accordion textures into the music, while on other pieces he features deep horn backgrounds, with baritone saxophone and bass trombone bolstering the music. Background vocals, as delivered by a who's who of the most prominent vocalists in jazz today (

Kate McGarry

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Kate McGarry and

Lauren Kinhan

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Lauren Kinhan), are anything but pedestrian, and Eldridge provides all of the polished lead vocals that have come to characterize his work.

While a similar vibe hovers over all of this material, Eldridge comes at the music in different ways. "Charmer" and "Buffet Philosophy" are delivered with a posturing attitude, and they're covered with the

Steely Dan

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Steely Dan-esque veneer that has occasionally been connected to the vocalist's work. "Buffet Philosophy" also stands out for

Alan Ferber

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Alan Ferber's big-toned bass trombone solo, while "The Very Thought Of You" is re-harmonized and given new life, as Eldridge's mellifluous voice takes it in a more modern direction.

Amy Cervini

vocals
b.1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Amy Cervini and

Rondi Charleston

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Rondi Charleston provide supportive background vocals along the way, and

Joel Frahm

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Joel Frahm's silk-spun saxophone lines are a treat.

While the arrangements occasionally threaten to overshadow Eldridge's vocals, he delivers homeruns when he has more room to breathe ("I Forgot To Laugh" and "No Tomorrow"), and when he croons in Portuguese ("Voce e Eu" and "Pr�� Machucar Meu Cora??o").

Keith Ganz

guitar
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Keith Ganz's acoustic guitar solos add to the immediacy of the music on "Voce e Eu" and "No Tomorrow," and Eldridge's deep and resonant vocals on "Pr�� Machucar Meu Cora??o" show off a different side of his voice.

Some people might argue with the "easy listening" tag, regardless of the positive connotation it carries here, but it's an undeniable truth that Peter Eldridge's jazz-pop proclivities and Brazilian bona fides are on full display throughout the inviting music of Mad Heaven.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

On Second Thought (Prelude); Charmer; Voce e Eu; Buffet Philosophy; I Forgot To Laugh; Mad Heaven; No Tomorrow; Pr�� Machucar Meu Cora??o; Warm December; Betty's Bossa (Chamego); Someone To Light Up My Life; The Very Thought Of You.

Personnel

Peter Eldridge

vocals

Peter Eldridge: piano, vocals; Keith Ganz: guitar; Tim Lefebvre: acoustic bass; Ben Wittman: drums, percussion; James Shipp: percussion, vibraphone; Joe Frahm: tenor saxophone (1, 10-12); Darmon Meader: tenor saxophone (9), vocals (9); Marc Shulman: electric guitar (2, 5, 9); Chris Cheek: baritone saxophone (2, 4); Alan Ferber: bass trombone (2, 4); Kate McGarry: vocals (2, 6, 9); Lauren Kinhan: vocals (2, 5, 9); Jo Lawry: vocals (4-6); Amy Cervini: vocals (12); Rondi Charleston: vocals (12); Gil Goldstein: accordion (3, 7); Aaron Heick: alto flute (3, 7).

Album information

Title: Mad Heaven | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Palmetto Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

DIVA Jazz Orchestra / Paul Read Orch...
< Previous

Lagrimas Mexicanas
Next >

Peter Eldridge Concerts

Sep 27 Sat

New York Voices -- The Grand Finale

Academy Of Music Theatre
Northampton, MA

Feb 14 Sat

New York Voices Farewell Tour

Samueli Theater
Costa Mesa, CA

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.