It was time for another jazz concert, with the main act being Malia this time. Whoever I told I was going to her concert was like “Who’s that?” Well, some very basic facts: She’s a jazz singer, grew up in Malawi, later in London and she has won the ECHO for best jazz singer in 2013 with her album “Black Orchid“, a tribute to Nina Simone.
Her new album “Convergence” was recorded together with Boris Blank, one of the musicians of the Swiss band “Yello“. Consequently this new album has a heavy influence of electronic music. I have to admit that I’m not very into that genre so I was struggling with some of the new tracks…
A positive surprise was the supporting act, Astrid North. I only found out later that she used to be the lead singer of the”Cultured Pearls“. Now she’s recording her solo stuff. I really enjoyed her slow, quiet set, which she presented alone on stage only with her keyboard. My favorites were “Dither“, a song, she said, she had written for her little sister, and “Silence”, a track from her forthcoming live album. You can download it here for free if you sign up for her mailing list.
Malia played with a band of four, who kind of de-electrisized most of the tracks. It was a good way for me to discover these tracks anew. Sometimes with music you just need some time or/and some input to “get there”, to understand it, to feel it. When I now listen to the album, the songs sound different to me, more familiar, easier to understand. I guess it’s often a learning process and I have realised that it’s always a good idea to revisit songs/albums after some time has passed and see whether they still don’t talk to you. Some of my favorite albums now I have discovered like this, actually: I didn’t like – or better – understand them when I first heard them, I put them aside, then something made me listen to them again after some time and BOOM, there it was! I got it!
Anyway, back to topic: Like on the album, the concert also started with “Celestial Echo“. Especially in the first few minutes it was impressing just to listen to Malia’s deep, striking voice live. Although most of the songs she played where from the new album, she also slipped in a few tracks from back records, like “Yellow Daffodils” or “The Little Black Bird“, which was inspired by a true story, she explained, when she saw a black bird that couldn’t fly and still seemed to have a positive attitude, which made a great metaphor for the struggles in life we go through and how we should deal with them. Of course some jazz classics were a must, so we heard “Fever” from the new record and “Feeling good” from “Black Orchid”. I actually could have done with some more of these! I don’t know why in jazz music I always seem to fall for the same, old standard tracks and have no problem whatsoever to hear them again and again. I mean, it’s always just a different cover but I guess these songs are just so brilliant, that you can listen to them a thousand times and you don’t get weary.
I also sooo would have loved to hear my favorite Malia track, which is “Young bones“. But well, I don’t expect anyone to be a mind-reader. *lol* I still had to write this, because I want everyone reading this to discover this beautiful track. It is just an awesome, sad but true song, which is so easy to relate to when you’re really down, I guess. Check it out!
Anyway, I had a wonderful time with Malia, had the chance to tell her that afterwards, got my CD signed and drove home with a smile on my face. 🙂
music, the world & me 