MP3 Christine Rosholt - Detour Ahead
On the bandstand, Christine exudes enough warmth and charm to enchant even the most reluctant audience without singing a single note. An audio recording is another matter—the singer must engage the listener solely through her voice and choice of material.
13 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals
Details:
September 2006 - Detour Ahead was nominated for best jazz CD in the 2006 Minnesota Music Awards. https://www.tradebit.com
"Detour Ahead" Liner Notes by Andrea Canter, Minneapolis Minnesota:
It took a while for Christine Rosholt to find her way into the recording studio. Finally her years in theater yielded to her passion for song, leading her away from the big stage and onto the bandstands of numerous Twin Cities venues. And while her audience grew as she found more and more outlets--and fans--for her infectious vocal zest, so did the desire to translate the immediacy of live performance to the permanence of recording. Says Christine, “A CD is a wonderful way to document one''s artistic vision in a specific place and time.” And so is this debut recording a wonderful document of Christine’s vision at this place and time, a vision of the bond between performer and listener that can transcend the confines of the recording studio. Although the title is “Detour Ahead,” one has to wonder if the “detour” is in the past, for surely it is a bright future that lies ahead of this young artist.
On the bandstand, Christine exudes enough warmth and charm to enchant even the most reluctant audience without singing a single note. An audio recording is another matter--the singer must engage the listener solely through her voice and choice of material. Detour Ahead succeeds on both counts. Through her voice alone, she creates that same invivo allure, while the diversity of her playlist givers her a wide stage from which to cast her spell.
The magic here is less a function of sleight-at-hand twists of melody or rhythm than of more subtle shadings of tone and inflection that nevertheless give each track Christine’s personal imprint. The vocal story line remains true to the plot yet gently tugs and pulls at your senses along the way as Christine explores both time-honored classics and lesser known covers. Perhaps her early involvement with the Childrens’ Theater and subsequent stage experience give Christine an edge in selling a song, even such Cole Porter chestnuts as “From This Moment On” and “It’s De-Lovely”--sassy and brassy, it is Christine who is “delightful, delicious, de-lovely.” With her dramatic flair, the well-worn “Honeysuckle Rose” takes on the bubbling seduction that Fats Waller surely intended, while a sweet sincerity permeates “Early Autumn,” “Some Time Ago,” and “I Cover the Waterfront.” The title track seems emblematic of the entire project--listen as her phrasing pulls you into intimate conversation; Christine is right there in your living room, surrounding you with the sensual energy and vibrant imagery of live performance.
Christine has assembled a rhythm section that embraces and lifts her music from the first note. Twenty-something Tanner Taylor--a true keyboard monster when leading his own trio--is something of a magician when supporting a vocalist. His solos are sparkling gems that inspire but never upstage the singer, his comping deft and gracious, and his Hammond B-3 on “Honeysuckle Rose” adds just the right touch of primal sensuality. Long a favorite of both vocalists and pianists, Jay Epstein is a creative and elastic acrobat with sticks and brushes, frenetic on “Out of This World,” elegantly subtle on “Detour Ahead.” Newly transplanted to New York, bassist Michael O’Brien has similarly built a reputation for supporting the top vocalists of the Twin Cities and beyond, walking lightly but surely, and breaking out as pacesetter at all the right moments. Mystical mallet-man Steve Roehm enlivens “Daydream” with the vibraphone, while stunning guitarist Robert Everest provides arrangement, guitar and vocal on Jobim’s “Chega de Saudade” (“No More Blues”).
Simply, Christine Rosholt sums up her concept of Detour Ahead when she says, “I love being a live performer.” The love of performance, of connecting with her audience, infuses every track. You might be listening on your iPod, in your car, in your most quiet and private space, but from the first note to the last, Christine is right beside you, whispering, cajoling, affirming--with clear tone, sure diction, sassy or sweet, she’s live on your stage.