[.ca] April

From Amazon.co.uk:
Swiss-Dutch singer Susanne Abbuehl's April is a striking debut for a label which, over the years, has recorded such comparably coolly arresting vocalists as Norma Winstone, Karin Krog and Annette Peacock. Backed by a beautifully integrated trio of Wolfert Brederode (piano, harmonium, melodica), Christof May (clarinets) and Samuel Rohrer (drums, percussion) Abbuehl delivers an hour-long programme as intelligent as it is soulful. Most of the lyrics are taken from the late American poet EE Cummings (who was drawn to jazz), with Abbuehl contributing thoughtful words to Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino" and "Closer" and offering an unusually atmospheric reading of Bernie Hanigen's lyrics to Thelonious Monk's and Cootie William's "'Round Midnight"--supported here only by the excellent Brederode on harmonium. Bley and Cummings feature equally in the programme: one of the standout tracks is the setting of Cummings's "Somewhere I Have Never Travelled" to Bley's "Seven", and there is also a knockout version of Bley's "A.I.R." where Abbuehl's quietly smouldering vocalese is beautifully complemented by Rohrer's deep-toned and ritualistic percussion. Exemplified by the solo vocal of "Since Feeling Is First", Abbuehl reveals an appealingly spacious command of pitch, intonation and rhythm, her voice and delivery at once richly formed and intimate, weighty and transparent. It's a long way from the harmonic twists and turns of "'Round Midnight" to the modal invocations of the drone-like and concluding "Mane Na", but Abbuehl and her companions manage to make it seem as natural as breathing. --Michael Tucker

Chronique amazon.fr:
Née à Berne, Susanne Abbuehl a étudié le chant classique au conservatoire royal de La Haye, le jazz avec Jeanne Lee et le chant classique de l'Inde du Nord à Bombay. Elle pose sa voix avec une infinie douceur et son chant semble venir du plus profond d'elle-même comme pour nous révéler quelque secret message au-delà des mots qu'elle exprime. Le quartette qui l'accompagne fonctionne un peu comme un ensemble de musique de chambre et s'attache à la perfection de la forme. Sa démarche est résolument minimaliste. Peu de notes mais les plus justes, celles qui pèsent de tout leur poids et répandent l'émotion. Un piano rêveur (Wolfert Brederode), une mélancolique et tendre clarinette (Christof May), un batteur d'une extrême discrétion (Samuel Rohrer) répondent à la pureté d'une voix envoûtante. En partie consacré aux compositions de Carla Bley - magnifiques reprises de "Ida Lupino", "Closer" et "A.I.R. (All India Radio)" -, April s'impose par la délicatesse de ses paysages musicaux. --Pierre de Chocqueuse

just this side of perfection:
This is one of those albums that you'll either love or hate. As you can see from my rating, I loved it. Ms. Abbuehl's voice is the perfect companion to the very (and I do mean *very*) minimalistic musical accompaniment that appears on her album, APRIL. Her voice is so smoothly sedutctive that I found myself transported to a small, smoke-filled 1930's bar before I knew it. Then I snapped out of it and thought, "WOW!" This is the kind of music that you should like if you like David Lynch or film noir. On the other hand, if you like the more lush, "classic" arrangments of the 40's and 50's crooners, then this may not be the album for you. While hauntingly beautiful, the arrangements are so spare as to be extremely melancholy -- a feeling that is enhanced by Abbuehl's slow, soft style. Basically, if you've ever suffered from severe depression after listening to an album, give this one a pass. But, if you can handle the sadness, then this is definitely a "find" of an album. My favorite track on APRIL would have to be Abbuehl's stunning version of "A.I.R.". I never thought so little instrmentation and vocals could fill up the atmosphere so much! The only thing I could have wished for was more of the album. I gave APRIL a 4 star rating instead of 5 stars because I feel that Abbuehl is not yet at her peak -- not yet showing us her best work. But, if you are a fan of Jazz and lazy, rainy afternoons, then this is the album for you. Give it a try; Susanne Abbuehl will surely seduce you!

Beautiful Melancholy:
I don't know if most listeners will have the patience to appreciate this album, but if you can find some time alone, put on headphones, lie in the middle of the floor, close your eyes, and listen carefully, this music may allow you to do a thing seldom achieved--forget yourself, lose your ego. For me, the song that personifies this feeling is "somewhere I have travelled gladly beyond". "yes is a pleasant country" starts of this CD, and sets the tone beautifully--this is definitely a cold weather cd made by a person that understands the beauty of winter--who appreciates the sharp chill but also the comfort of coming inside. Without question, "skies may be blue;yes" is the most engaging track: from the very first piano notes, I get a chills. The imagery is beautiful here--it's the beauty of the music's metaphors that make it so engaging. If you can shut out the world for a bit, and challenge yourself to listen, this record can take you somewhere beautiful. If you buy music to listen to during your evening commute, don't bother.

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