Album Reviews

BEAT KAESTLI

Happy, Sad and Satisfied.

2006-01-31

Only the music gurus at WYCE can find stuff like this: Swiss jazz. Young singer/arranger Beat Kaestli (born and raised in Switzerland, but now a NYC crooner) is in the Harry Connick, Jr. mode and while we don’t need even more versions of “Autumn Leaves” (what is up with everyone covering that chestnut over the last year?), this kid’s strength is in his arrangements and his instrumental compadres.

I think the disc gets better in the second half, with the instrumentation carrying cuts #7-#10. Listen especially to the trumpet in “So in Love,” the bass and sax in “Tenderly” and the organ in the interesting set-closer “I (Who Have Nothing)” * who remembers Tom Jones singing that on Top 40 radio? It is also different to hear a male lead on Gershwin’s “Summertime.” If this youngster wants to make it, my advice is to keep up the good work on the arrangements and choose less predictable numbers; that’s what makes the second half of this CD more intriguing.

1/06 MJVD Jazz-Contemporary (vocal)

all reviews | all jazz reviews

More reviews tagged #Jazz

reviewed 10/2006
FREDDIE CRUGER AKA RED ASTAIRE
Soul Search
reviewed 07/2004
Various Artists
Upstairs at Larry's: Lawrence Welk Uncorked
reviewed 12/1969
Spencer A. Barefield
After The End
reviewed 06/2011
PAT METHENY
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT
reviewed 04/2012
DON BRADEN & KARL LATHAM
Big Fun(k) Live
reviewed 05/2009
MELODY GARDOT
My One and Only Thrill

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.