Jazz singer Come Sunday by the A.M. Jazz Quintet.
Instead of working with her full quintet here, though, she essays the entire tune with only Kevin Martinez's dancing acoustic bass for accompaniment. That's a test of her intonation, of course, and she passes it with flying colors. More important is her interaction with Martinez is light and free and very much a mutual conversation.
In fact, Martinez's lyrical soloing in the middle bars has the kind of zest that would challenge the nerve of a more insecure vocalist. But Margaret shows her mettle by following it up with some impressionistic scatting that allows the end of the tune to deliquesce very naturally.
It's not a bold performance, by any means. But by showing restraint, Margaret does a fine job of communicating the flickering energy of a renewed landscape flecked with the first flowers of spring.
An MP3 of the track are available in the related downloads at right. The A.M. Jazz Quintet is performing at Restaurant Magnus on Friday, December 28.
MadTracks highlights and provides MP3s of songs performed by local musicians. All tracks here are provided with permission of the artist. If you are a musician based in the Madison metro area and are interested in sharing your work as a MadTrack, please send a message.
