Search - Jan Leder :: Nonchalant

An excellent, swinging CD with lots of variety and talent!

Lois Roe | Neptune, NJ United States | 01/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you were a jazz flutist, how would you follow up a great instrumental recording debut? How about with a CD that showcases your talents as a lyricist? That is exactly what Jan Leder has done on her second release as a leader, intriguingly entitled Nonchalant. If Jan Leder's debut CD, Passage to Freedom, served as her recording debut as a jazz flutist and leader, her second CD, Nonchalant, it seems to me, is the unveiling of her overall musical voice. I'm always intrigued when an artist takes his or her art in a new direction. That Jan Leder has chosen to do this already on her second recording is impressive. The result is a great CD from beginning to end.Leder opens Nonchalant with an absolutely exultant rendering of Stevie Wonder's tune Bird of Beauty. On this tune, Leder, guitarist Mark McCarron, and pianist Jon Davis all take flight, as percussionist Daniel Moreno (listen for the gong and the bells) subtly adds the perfect finishing touches. I think that if Stevie Wonder ever gets a chance to hear this, he will be very pleased!But absolutely everyone on this CD is excellent, and vocalists Angela DeNiro, Mary Foster-Conklin and Cleve Douglass all deliver great performances. For me, it's the title track, Nonchalant, and the closing track, Conclusion Jump, both written by drummer Art Lillard and with lyrics by Leder that really steal the show. Both tunes really swing and Leder's engaging lyrics are delivered to toe-tapping perfection by the wonderful Manhattan Transfer-esque voice of Angela DeNiro and the consummately expressive, fully-of-moxy voice of Mary Foster-Conklin. Nonchalant is a radio hit waiting to happen: if you're anything like me, you'll be whistling and singing it after just one listen!It seems to me that Leder's continuing avian theme (e.g. Bird of Beauty) is a metaphor for the spirit in which she plays. I am certain this is the reason I always find myself with a broad, subconscious smile on my face when I listen to it. My first reaction was to wish that Leder and her flute were even more prominent throughout the album, but now after many listens, I have to say that one of the most impressive things about Nonchalant is how effectively Jan Leder expresses her own wide-ranging musical voice, while at the same time showcasing her incredibly talented musical collaborators so well. That, in my opinion, is a leader - and this is one fantastic CD, which I give my most enthusiastic possible recommendation!"