Paula Harris - Speakeasy (2019)
Paula Harris - Speakeasy (2019)
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 514 MB | Tracks: 16 | 76:13 min
Style: Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Blues | Label: Blu Gruv Music
WEB FLAC (tracks) - 514 MB | Tracks: 16 | 76:13 min
Style: Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Blues | Label: Blu Gruv Music
Paula Harris made quite a statement when it came to her 2012 debut, Turning On The Naughty, with its rambunctious and bawdy blues presentation. It was a prime display of what had garnered her a third-place showing at the International Blues Challenge. It has been a few years, but Paula is back with her new disc and it is a completely different direction from that first release. Speakeasy is a very easy-listening acoustic jazzy blues style that her voice is suited to without a doubt. This is the kind of lounge-like feel you would expect from the likes of a Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday or Sarah Vaughn. It’s music that you want to turn on in a dark room lit only by the glow of the fireplace and snuggled up to your significant other.
Unlike most blues albums, there is no guitar involved here. The performers are all amongst the top of their game, both blues and jazz musicians. Nate Ginsberg (Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Greg Allman) glides his fingers across the piano giving the basic flavor behind Paula’s voice. Derrick “D’Mar” Martin (Little Richard, Anthony Paule) returns from the first album bringing his driving drums, joined by upright bassist Rich Girard (Lou Rawls, Mose Allison) for rhythm perfection. Add to that the Grammy-winning trumpet of Bill Ortiz (Santana) and Paula has assembled a quartet that would be at home in any intimate club anywhere.
The song selections are also a match suited for Paula and the band’s delivery. Highlights here have to include her take on Donny Hathaway’s “More Than You’ll Ever Know” and Thelonius Monk’s “Round Midnight” with Ginsberg and Ortiz sensational instrumentation working in tandem. The light-hearted “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby” from Louis Jordan’s songbook is a nice interlude with popping bass licks from Girard and Blues Music Award winner Big Llou Johnson makes an appearance on “Something Wicked.” She is also going to pull at your heartstrings on a piece like “Good Morning Heartache” and “Haunted.”
Speakeasy is quite a turn-around from her first album, but she proves that she can cover the blues in any direction she sees fit. This is definitely niche that suits her well here. Paula’s charmed and mystic voice makes Speakeasy an album that you can fall in love to.
Tracklist:
01. Nothing Good Happens After Midnight
02. I Wanna Hate Myself Tomorrow (For Raising Hell Tonight)
03. Haunted
04. Good Morning Heartache
05. Soul-Sucking Man
06. This Love Is Gonna Do Me In
07. A Mind of Her Own
08. Something Wicked
09. Trouble Maker
10. Round Midnight
11. You Don't Look a Day over Fabulous
12. Do Me Good
13. More Than You'll Ever Know
14. Forever and a Day
15. Scratches on Your Back
16. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby
FILE: 01. Nothing Good Happens After Midnight.flac
Size: 36785210 Hash: EE7DD05C03FB598795504882BD7CD160 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: 65DC49842E815C399470B6E760F6973F651BB43D
FILE: 02. I Wanna Hate Myself Tomorrow (For Raising Hell Tonight).flac
Size: 30649849 Hash: B114F1F293D94D32AF08761499A25675 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: EF464C205CDE48654406358A5526649120F6E915
FILE: 03. Haunted.flac
Size: 29918583 Hash: 6FB9B5AB15F7BA17A48868E85312A42D Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 5817CE4104D40BE5DE0ECBE87965FFB64BCBC2C3
FILE: 04. Good Morning Heartache.flac
Size: 43778976 Hash: BE0B5A6A35612263C39F73C8517C4B5A Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 4DACBF23EB6ED257842FE8C9F9C3EC54B7B509FA
FILE: 05. Soul-Sucking Man.flac
Size: 30414764 Hash: 765384BC847207066B9AD75270F1E506 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 2D656F0333EB9A30FA877A28A7E8F7A04FBAB93A
FILE: 06. This Love Is Gonna Do Me In.flac
Size: 38328658 Hash: C2E2466ED74BE8651F36A7AB2A8C3182 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 66EF5020B43BABAD66C1D683728E08F7CD72CD73
FILE: 07. A Mind of Her Own.flac
Size: 26157601 Hash: E4D1CA296D5B087D0E6F8412A2BF3788 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 636D4D79659E5D0DBC89FC6EB460A7D49171A57F
FILE: 08. Something Wicked.flac
Size: 34824483 Hash: 445A422B050B9A2329909D9433D71BDE Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 41EB23739E7CF88F9F0C273AE682575530F35BC6
FILE: 09. Trouble Maker.flac
Size: 32223431 Hash: 3E4FBD51B72A523AB21D8C23F284D93D Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: AEA5CE778BC16EB546BBA26921E1705798121930
FILE: 10. Round Midnight.flac
Size: 34943855 Hash: 9EC3A6171F75B7DBB215D08F1C31EC94 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 2090711D16AFEEF2CCB873C92C4AE991EF4EDAD5
FILE: 11. You Don't Look a Day over Fabulous.flac
Size: 39296310 Hash: 6721E8929D6F1AA2AD5DC6E70424D956 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 34877C0EF0A1725F834C884D59AA7688715070A4
FILE: 12. Do Me Good.flac
Size: 34124932 Hash: 004CA1DCFEE4AAB04A22E0F97B42B27D Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 196558888E6266C8A11AD653ABA1458D29A061F4
FILE: 13. More Than You'll Ever Know.flac
Size: 35273130 Hash: E050A7DF591DB2AD5563D9C6C43A4756 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: BB53C4040F9E8A12EF77655F15CB2AAD55A06D36
FILE: 14. Forever and a Day.flac
Size: 33992176 Hash: 1447550A947D4EEA9717AA369704A7A7 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 4F5EFF1F7953F81D948EEC0FC9A906C1C9187018
FILE: 15. Scratches on Your Back.flac
Size: 28861035 Hash: F1C3D71916B7A0816DCDB11DC52C7CA0 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: EDB44BB7E9B42C405DDE9515A07865F997B6F235
FILE: 16. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby.flac
Size: 29281184 Hash: A861E278C378967814900BFA7D388444 Accuracy: -m0
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: A19B69C258FBE9E9CE8A996DEFE899ACAF6D080F