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 04/2006
The New Orleans Social Club
Sing Me Back Home
reviewed 01/2008
CHARLIE HUNTER AND BOBBY PREVITE/GROUNDTRUTHER
ALTITUDES
reviewed 02/2016
Jenny Gillespie
Cure For Dreaming
reviewed 05/2007
STEVE SWALLOW with ROBERT CREELY
So There
reviewed 04/2014
MO'FONE
'Fonology
reviewed 07/2004
Various Artists
Upstairs at Larry's: Lawrence Welk Uncorked

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.