Rebecca Martin - Growing Season (CD)

All Music Guide

Vocalist/guitarist Rebecca Martin is essentially a popfolk vocalist with little personal connection to legitimate mainstream or swingstyle jazz, as indicated on this recording of introspective songs that sidles closer to a contemporary singer/songwriter style. To her credit, though, she has surrounded herself with such topnotch contemporary jazz artists as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Larry Grenadier, and Brian Blade. Martin has a fragile voice that is part Laura Nyro, part Stevie Nicks, and part Joni Mitchell. A quiet, somewhat restless edge, middling soul inflections, and an inward insular sense of oneness identify her music and lyrics. Rosenwinkel wholly contributes to the arrangements and sound sculptures, playing his typical electric and acoustic guitars but also acoustic piano, amplified Fender Rhodes piano, and even vibraphone. Grenadier and Blade are peerless partners in linear rhythms and steadyrolling waves of liquid pop and light rock beats. Martin should play up to the strengths of th...ese musicians but succeeds best when laying back, as on the light Brazilian love song "A Million Miles," a cryptic and elusive "Make the Days Run Fast," the questionandanswer tune "Free at Last," and the prettiest piece, "The Space in a Song to Think," with a repeated fournote theme emphasizing two guitars and Rosenwinkel on the Rhodes. Her most forceful façade, "After Midnight" in rock mode, takes on the perspective of an observer; "To Prove Them Wrong" in waltz time with Rosenwinkel on acoustic piano (a treat) is her premier cut of personal deep emotion; and Martin's solo voice with guitar during "Pieces" expresses both revelation and reconciliation. The overall range of styles is unfortunately limited and samey, but the last two songs deviate on different levels. "You're Older" speaks too broadly and harshly of the aging process and is not all that attractive, while "Talking" (cowritten by Jesse Harris) is equally offputting, regretful, and more about not talking. Martin has presented songs that for some will be hit and miss, while others might find this fairly consistent on the drama meter, albeit idiosyncratic. - Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide Read more Less