Rating:
Genre:
Electronica
Release Date: 07/09/2002
Sweet
vocal jazz for the post-club generation that could have been made decades ago,
Koop's debut album finely treads the line between the hipster posturing and
lounge perfection that is the specialty of
acid jazz radio guru
Gilles Peterson. Lush orchestration and
hard bop rhythms make
Waltz for Koop a pleasing sensation, but it is the rotating cast of vocalists that gives the album a strength beyond kvetch. Newcomers
Cecilia Stalin and
Yukimi Nagano both follow the fluttering vocal lineage of
Astrud Gilberto on two songs each. The ladies perform effortlessly next to songs featuring certified vocal greats
Earl Zinger and
Terry Callier, each of whom wrote the lyrics to their respective numbers,
"Modal Mile" and
"In a Heartbeat." Callier's turn is the highlight of the album, with
Koop augmenting the master's voice and their own retro melodies with subtly modern sounds, creating a fusion that remains true to the traditional form while staking their own 21st century musical claim. Though
Koop occasionally steps into pretension (the album contains several unnecessary vocal interludes taken from old
jazz programs),
Waltz for Koop is one of those rare albums that succeeds in paying homage to the artist's heroes without sounding like watered-down versions of said forerunners. Put any of this album's songs on a mix tape next to a classic by
Elis Regina or
Chet Baker, and see if it doesn't fit together.
~Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide
;)
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