Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jaclyn Guillou: Winter For Beginners

Jaclyn Guillou: Winter For Beginners

By Dan Bilawsky
November 18, 2014
View read count

If ever there was a voice that could balance an icy chill with fireplace comfort and warmth, it's this one. On Winter For Beginners, Jaclyn Guillou's intoxicating voice takes the ear through an odyssey of the seasons, communing with nature in all of its beauty, be it rich or stark.

Guillou's originals are built in a contemporary and exploratory vein, eschewing form(al) simplicities for something more complex and meaningful, yet everything is easy and natural to grasp; she bridges modernity with accessibility in seamless fashion. At times, it's her way with words that catches attention and draws in the ear ("In A Wooden House" and "Castle Garden"), but she's just as likely to charm with the tonal purity of her wordless lines. Those heavenly sounds, which alternately move in step-wise fashion, create angular beauty, walk in tandem with guest cellist

Peggy Lee

vocals
1920 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Peggy Lee, or simply take in the surroundings, aren't a key ingredient here; they're the key ingredient.

Seven of the nine tracks featured herein come from Guillou's fertile mind, but she bookends the album with two vastly different covers that speak to her diversified musical portfolio—a beautiful recasting of a traditional number called "Land Of The Silver Birch" and a modern jazz-folk-soul inflected take on

Phoebe Snow

vocals
1952 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Phoebe Snow's "Poetry Man." Both numbers fit in perfectly with her original material, both in sound and spirit. All nine songs truly come together to form a travelogue of sorts.

Guillou's companions on this journey do a splendid job bringing her thoughts to musical life. Pianist

Bruno Hubert

" data-original-title="" title="">Bruno Hubert provides directional guidance and serves as a source of support; guitarist

David Blake

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">David Blake's lines refract and glow in the sonic atmosphere; special guests—tabla player Neelamjit Dhillon, producer/trumpeter

Brad Turner

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Brad Turner, and Lee—add new layers of depth to the work; and the bass-drum team of James Meger and

Andrew Millar

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Millar add subtle touches and provide momentum and power when needed. It's a team effort, but it's also Guillou's show. And with a voice like that, it shouldn't be any other way.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Land Of The Silver Birch; In A Wooden House; When The Leaves Fall; Winter For Beginners; Spring (Is Like A Promise For Beauty); Summer Where? (Mr Sun); Clouds; Castle Garden; Poetry Man.

Personnel

Jaclyn Guillou

vocals

Jaclyn Guillou: vocals; Bruno Hubert: piano; David Blake: guitar; James Meger: bass; Amdrew Millar: drums; Brad Turner: flugelhorn (5), trumpet, triangle (6); Peggy Lee: cello (1, 3, 8); Neelamjit Dhillon: table (6).

Album information

Title: Winter For Beginners | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Cellar Live

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jazz-Blues Brothers
< Previous

North And The Red Stream
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.