Elly Roberts reviews
FDM Records
- Cat.no: NGE033
- Released: January 2006
- Rating: 8/10
A well established household name in Austria, New York born Sumitra releases an adventurous contemporary Jazz album.
Purists may well snub her cutting edge stylings, which would be a greatshame. Sweet-voiced Sumitra has plenty to tell both musically andlyrically, ranging from race and heritage issues in the modern world, tolove and insecurity.
The ‘Indian Girl’ sometimes adopts an MOR feel, (though not an out-and -outapproach in the Katie Melua formula) is countered by complex rhythms, allbeautifully harnessed over the easy flowing tracklisting format.
Mostly using low-fi genteelness, she uses simple acoustic guitar strumming,balanced by her husband and guitarist Alex Machacek,and rhythm section of drummer Mario Lackner and bassist Tibor Kovesdi, asthey collectively pull together some sublime band work.
High on the agenda both vocally and musically is an undeniable love affairwith melody which effectively drives the album on its rollercoaster ofcompositions, which in most part are accessible to the uninitiated andcasual Jazz fan. Just for fun, she even throws in a bit of funkiness throughtrack 7, At The End, without losing the genre’s sensibilities.
As a package, the composite outcome of Indian Girl is an effortless andrelaxed offering. In terms of songwriting she’s way ahead of her peers.
Of its type, this is a top class and sophisticated album.
Top tracks: Destiny 2001, My Love’s Like A Red Red Rose.
Weblink:Sumitra-online.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Indian Girl
2. If My Clothes Were Torn
3. Destiny 2001
4. I Know It’s Late
5. 20 Years
6. I’m Afraid Of The Dark
7. At The End
8. My Love’s Like A Red Red Rose
9. Can You Imagine?
10. Orange And Gold
11. No Words
12. One Life
13. Empty Fields
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.