***1/2 Jane Siberry MARIA(Reprise)
Canadian singer/songwriter
Jane Siberry has at last embraced the perfect
idiom for her beguiling, poetic muse. Composed as well as recorded in
the studio, this album has Siberry
backed by a jazz trio that features
pianist Tim Ray (of Orange Then Blue and other Boston outfits), drummer
Brian Blade (Joshua Redman), and bassist Christopher Thomas (Redman,
Betty Carter). Free of the fragmented, over-indulgent tone of her last
few albums, Maria shimmers with grace and a playful innocence
that mirrors the storybook images "See the Child" and the wistful
nuances of the title track. "Loving Cup" is a precious slice of jazz
pop, with Siberry doing a breathy chanteuse turn even Blossom Dearie
would admire; on "Begat Begat" you can hear Siberry turn some Hebrew
phrases into a clever bit of scat singing. The disc includes a
20-minute suite entitled "Oh My My," which has references to a
forgotten childhood juxtaposed against a step-by-step primer on
adulthood: "You will begin the long process of shutting down/You will
discover drugs and alcohol." Maria is Siberry's best work in
ages.
- David Gérard
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