ALL THAT’S JAZZ

By Rolf Polak,

March 15 2004

CD REVIEWS

After earlier successful albums “Take it from the Top”, ”A Heart full of Music”, “I was born in Love with You”, “Different Colours” and “The Madness of our Love”, Denise Jannah surprises us with the release of a new album. A truly excellent album, very much in contrast with her earlier work.

On “Gedicht Gezongen” (Poetry Sung) Jannah sings a total of 22 poems by 16 poets, amongst whom there are M. Vasalis, Margo Morrison, Hans Andreus, Frank Martinus Arion, Orlando Emanuels and Gerrit Komrij. This Dutch, South African, Surinamese, Indonesian and Netherlands Antillean poetry has been set to music by Denise herself, in beautiful compositions and arrangements, which again confirms her versatility.

Not a real jazz album this time, although various pieces clearly show jazzy influences, furthermore one also hears influences of Blues, Antillean and Latin music. This independently produced and released sixth album reflects sheer crafts(wo)manship, not only because of her wonderful voice but also because of the sidemen: guitarists Leonardo Amuedo de Souza, Julian Coco, Marcel von Weissenbruch, bass guitarists David de Marez Oyens and Lesley Joseph, pianists Glenn Gaddum and Michiel Borstlap, percussionist Bart Fermie and drummer Eddy Veldman. This album, with its many different sounds, colours and contrasts, for sure will be played quite often by the Jannah fans.