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Jaclyn Guillou: The Lover's Walk

By C. Michael Bailey
March 20, 2014
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Canada has long been the breeding ground for jazz musicians and vocalists, pianist

Oscar Peterson

piano
1925 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Peterson and

" data-original-title="" title="">Diana Krall being notable examples. Vancouver-native Jaclyn Guillou is a multi-talented performer (song, dance and stage) who has carved out both an Old and New World presence. She released her first recording in 2011, To The City, a collection of standards are original compositions. She follows this recording with the present The Lover's Walk where she commands creation of seven probing compositions recorded in Belgium with her European quartet (she sported a Canadian quintet on her previous disc).

The Lover's Walk is a slim collection, perhaps too slim to be called an album but too long to be considered an EP (kind of like a "little big band"). It is a moody piece of work ranging from the

Norma Winstone

vocals
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Norma Winstone-inspired title piece that reveals Guillou's beautifully pliant and precise voice to the staccato-contemporary-inspired "If You." One hears notes of

Billie Holiday

vocals
1915 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Billie Holiday and

Rickie Lee Jones

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Rickie Lee Jones with a hint of

Madeleine Peyroux

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Madeleine Peyroux. That said, Guillou's voice is such a seamless synthesis that it is wholly unique. The ballad "Restless" is airy with pianist

Bram Weijters

piano
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bram Weijters' spacious flourishes. Guillou sings spaciously, floating above her piano partner, sometimes forcefully emotive, sometimes sotto voce.

"Sometimes" is an assertive, up-tempo piece approximating the sophisticated urban-pace of traffic, propelled by Weijters' rolling block chords. The pianst gets his blues chops on effectively. The disc ends on the most traditionally harmonic piece, "Goodbye December." Guillou gives a reverent performance well supported by Weijters. This is the sound of genre crossover at its most successful.

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Track Listing

The Lover��s Walk; Burning Question; If You; Restless; The Road; Sometimes; Goodbye December.

Personnel

Jaclyn Guillou

vocals

Jaclyn Guillou: vocals; Bram Weijters: piano; Piet Verbist: bass; Toon Van Dionant: drums.

Album information

Title: The Lover's Walk | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

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