Gretchen Parlato | The Lost And Found

Gretchen Parlato | The Lost And Found
by Brent Faulkner

Gretchen Parlato is an exceptional young jazz vocal talent. On her third effort, The Lost And Found, the theme of the album is experimentation. Throughout the cerebral, enjoyable effort Parlato uses her voice in a number of capacities, making The Lost and Found one of the more innovative vocal jazz efforts in sometime. Parlato not only serves as the album’s muse, but also composes a number of the tracks. Those in which she doesn’t supply the music, she contributes her lyrical skills, which are incredibly ‘spot on.’ The Lost And Found exhibits no misses, with each and every track possessing some great asset to the overall album. With a group of talented supporting musicians (Taylor Eigsti, Derrick Hodge, Kendrick Scott), The Lost And Found is a must have for the jazz enthusiast.

“Holding Back The Years” finds Parlato covering the Simple Red classic. Vocally, Parlato is restrained, yet despite her vocal reticence, so much is exuded from the performance. Additionally, Parlato and her supporting combo don’t compromise the R&B underpinnings of this cut, but instead add some great jazz overtones to make the cut unique. “Winter Wind” is firmer in the jazz style, with Parlato serving as the composer in addition to her distinctive, polished vocals. What is superb about “Winter Wind” is that while Parlato remains ‘cool, calm and collected,’ the combo establishes some emotional musical tension, which satisfactorily contrasts Parlato’s approach. Experimentation, again, serves as the driving force behind this effort.

“How We Love,” another exceptional performance, showcases Parlato’s superb vocal tone and phrasing. Additionally, the electric piano solo is not too shabby, in the least! “Juju,” a cover of Wayne Shorter’s classic, finds Parlato putting here pen to work. Parlato brings in guest saxophonist Dayna Stephens to play the role of Shorter; the results are nothing short of stunning. Another stunner is the briefer cut “Still,” which adds bassist Alan Hampton to the mix, contributing acoustic guitar playing and singing. The track evolves slowly but once the full picture is revealed, it is another solid performance. “Better Than” exhibits one of Parlato’s most sensual performances, crossing over between jazz balladry and smooth R&B.

“Alo, Alo” finds Parlato using her voice in a minimalist capacity, as well as serving as the percussionist for the brief cut. “Circling,” an introspective cut, exhibits more exceptional songwriting. Parlato’s vocal tone is beautiful and her use of extended vocal techniques is brilliant (singing on neutral syllables, humming, etc.). “Henya” covers Ambrose Akinmusire, with Parlato penning the lyrics once more. As effective as anything else, the atmospheric quality might be what stands out the most. “In A Dream (Remix)” is a brief snippet, while a jazzy cover of Mary J. Blige’s “All That I Can Say” (penned by Lauryn Hill of course), is as good as everything else.

“Me and You” uses the electric piano as the main means of percussive accompaniment to Palato’s sassy, breathy lead vocals. “Blue in Green” features its share of creative ideas, while title track “The Lost and Found” features Parlato’s most plaintive vocal performance of the album. Experimentation is full fledged here with use of bowed bass (as opposed to being always plucked) and the airy tone of tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens. Closer “Without A Sound,” a brief cut, closes the effort appropriately and mysteriously.

Essentially, The Lost and Found is a great album. There is little to quibble about as Parlato has assemble a set of fifteen songs that are truly distinctive and serves as a direct representation of her artistry. One would wager that Parlato will be name to be remembered for years to come in the jazz circle.

Brent Faulkner
The Urban Music Scene