Search - Ann Dyer :: When I Close My Eyes

Ann Dyer
When I Close My Eyes
Genres: Alternative Rock, Jazz, Special Interest, Pop, Broadway & Vocalists

Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
1. Mermaid - Ann Dyer, Bloedow, Oren
2. I Scare Myself - Ann Dyer, Hicks, Dan
3. Evening - Ann Dyer, Dickinson, Emily
4. Sara - Ann Dyer, Campilongo, Jim
5. Underworld - Ann Dyer, Dyer, Ann
6. New England Cowboy - Ann Dyer, Dyer, Ann
7. The Official Story - Ann Dyer, Dyer, Ann
8. Bacherlorette [Excerpt] - Ann Dyer, Bjork
9. One Rupi, One Roti - Ann Dyer, Dyer, Ann
10. The Felon - Ann Dyer, Dyer, Ann
11. She Dreams (Will o' the Wisp) - Ann Dyer, De Falla, Manuel
12. When I Close My Eyes (Theater Piece) - Ann Dyer, Apfelbaum, Peter
13. Thirsty [Underworld Reprise Remix][*] - Ann Dyer, Dyer, Ann

CD Details

All Artists: Ann Dyer
Title: When I Close My Eyes
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Sunny Side
Original Release Date: 1/1/2003
Re-Release Date: 6/3/2003
Genres: Alternative Rock, Jazz, Special Interest, Pop, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Indie & Lo-Fi, Avant Garde & Free Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Experimental Music, Vocal Pop, Adult Alternative, Cabaret
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 016728111324

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Ann Dyer incorporates Indian modalities into her singing, but she's internalized her studies of Eastern music to such an extent that there is never a hint of willful exoticism in her music. Nor does Dyer exhibit the clichéd be-bop scatting and superfluous vocal gymnastics that mar most of what passes for jazz singing these days (perhaps that is why she remains under-the-radar). Instead she and her inventive cohorts, drummer Jason Lewis and bassist John Schifflett, interact in the brilliantly intuitive manner that marks the best improvisation. Whether covering tunes by Dan Hicks ("I Scare Myself") and Bjork ("Bachelorette"), or penning her own affecting tale of young Indian beggars ("One Rupi, One Roti"), Dyer's sensual instrument conveys a real sense of the song as a story and not just a vocal vehicle. This beautiful recording revels in sparseness of the naked beauty of her voice, the woodiness of the bass, and the orchestral timbre of the drums. Her previous record, Revolver: A New Spin, deconstructed the Beatles masterpiece with a spirit of adventure that rivaled the original and brought the singer some rave notices. This equally daring outing should do the same. --Michael Ross

CD Reviews

Unique and Impressive; But....

Rick Cornell | Reno, Nv USA | 02/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Down Beat rated this as the best vocal jazz album of 2003. Here's why I can't agree: This is a trio, with Ms. Dyer, string bass and percussion. I can't think of another album in which all (or virtually all) cuts had that instrumentation. And, this is not "Fever" with 12 variations: all the cuts have an eastern flair, and all demonstrate an almost telepathic empathy between the 3 musicians. And, though it was cut in the studio, this album could have been done live, and one gets the feeling that, if done live, the album would be exactly as it is here (plus applause). So, why knock off one star? Because there's only so much you can do with that instrumentation, if you're not going to overdub. You can't create music that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you shout, make you want to run a marathon. Not even Ann Dyer can do that. Here's an analogy: suppose Joan Miro did all of his "surrealistic squiggle" paintings in orange and purple only. It would be above average; but think what he could have accomplished if he had used the whole palette. There is nothing in this album that you will be singing in the shower within a week. But it's always interesting. With that limitation, recommended. RC

P.S.--4/6/06. This album and this review has haunted me like none other. Did I unfairly malign this album? After careful relisten, I conclude: yes and no.

Ann Dyer is a fabulous singer, and arguably is the most criminally underrated among the large universe of criminally underrated jazz singers. Her ability to bend notes and invent and reinvent lyrical lines is second only to Mark Murphy; and her ability to do that with a beautiful singing voice that is always pleasing to listen to is second to none. SHe deserves way, way more accolades than she has ever received.

But if you asked me to name two standout cuts off of this album, I couldn't do it. I can admire what Murphy does to "Green Dolphin Street", for example, because the song is so familiar; but nothing here has that degree of familiarity to act as a springboard for admiration of Ann Dyer's artistry. You have to have the patience to listen to this multiple times, before you really get it. RC"