1 Nov 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Goldsmith Baynes - Album Review: E Rere Ra

01 Sep 2022 // A review by Kev Rowland

Earlier this year I was fortunate to be asked to review To Ihu, one of the four singles to be made available from this album so far, and I was just blown away by what I was hearing. Allana Goldsmith is a classic jazz songstress with warm and embracing vocals while Mark Baynes is a compassionate and empathetic accompanist on the piano, and together they create the bedrock of a very special experience indeed. For the recording sessions they utilised the skills of Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (drums), Alex Griffith (electric bass), Tom Dennison (bass), Riki Bennett (Taongo Puoro), Cameron Allen (saxophones), Jono Tan (trombone) and Mike Booth (trumpet and horn arrangement), but never to the detriment to the core sound, building on it but not overwhelming it.

Alanna and Mark have been working together for more than ten years and it shows in this wonderfully enjoyable soft jazz release. As the singer, Alanna will often take the centre stage more than Mark, yet there are also times when he shows off his skills with sections where he takes the lead, sometimes on piano and others on an electric. Jazz is a global style, and the only style of music I ever heard my dad play for pleasure when I was growing up, so is a genre I have always held a close affection for, and when it is as good as this all one wants to do is sit back with the headphones on and relax into the arms of its friendly sound.

Alanna is from are Ngati Porou and Ngai Tai, and the majority of this album is performed in Te Reo, taking both the language and the genre into new areas. I have always felt that Te Reo is an incredibly musical language in its own right, as folk duo Aro clearly demonstrate on their releases, and here we have a singer and accompanist who embrace that and deliver artistry which is incredibly powerful and inviting. Although the songs are all within the soft jazz style, this still covers a lot of different areas and where horns may be a focal point in one song, it could be electric guitar on another while at times Alanna is singing clear and free, whereas at others she has multi-layered harmonies on top.

To Ihu is probably still my favourite on the album, but that may well be just because I played it so many times when it was released. A special mention should be made of Te Reo, where Alanna sounds incredible vulnerable, the piano provides rippling sequences behind, the percussion is both restrained and dramatic, the bass warm and melodious and then cries in the background remind us just where this has come from. This is a very special album indeed, one to be played when one has the time to really listen and fall into their special world.

Rating: ( 5 / 5 )
 

About Goldsmith Baynes

The Goldsmith Baynes project is a celebration between two musical souls. The talented pair have worked together for over 10 years and their musical bond comes from freedom, a shared trust, and mutual respect. Goldsmith and Baynes have written a stunning collection of songs together, which will culminate in a debut album to be released late this year.

Goldsmith Baynes have performed at renowned festivals including the Waiheke Jazz Festival and Tauranga International Jazz Festival, and have been programmed for the 2022 Auckland Arts Festival. They also were invited to perform at the recent Aotearoa Music Awards 2021.

An exciting new project created by the renowned jazz artists Allana Goldsmith and Mark Baynes with vocals containing a beautiful mix of Maori and English language, their debut single Tipuna was released last year and featured on the Waiata Anthems 2021 compilation. A wonderful collaboration between two modern favourites of the jazz world, Goldsmith's soulful jazz vocal combines with British pianist Baynes' contemporary jazz stylings to produce this truly uplifting and remarkable record.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Goldsmith Baynes

Releases

E Rere Ra
Year: 2022
Type: Album

Other Reviews By Kev Rowland

Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland - 07/07/2023
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
Read More...
Rain - Single Review: Love and War
15 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
It has been quite a while since I last heard from Wellington-based singer songwriter Cathy Elizabeth, and back then Rain was seen solely as a studio project with Cathy being accompanied by Thomas Te Taite, who provided all the instrumentation including digital drums. Now they are a full band who have been performing live, and it is the first time they have recorded as such, with Thomas now, just providing acoustic guitar (plus engineering and producing etc.
Read More...
Lost Vessels - Single Review: All This Time
01 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
Read More...
Unwanted Subject - Single Review: Sons of Savages
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them quite this is aggressive, nor as polished, and this multi-sectioned single sounds almost like a different band as they have pushed their metal roots to the max in this metalcore beast which sees them mixing and blending different genres to create something quite special.
Read More...
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland - 26/05/2023
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
Read More...
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland - 27/05/2023
27 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Back up to Auckland Guide Centre in Mount Eden tonight for my second consecutive gig (Sol suggested it was a turkey sandwich as I am at Vader tomorrow) to see Taranaki’s finest, Turkey The Bird at The Ministry of Folk. Before that we of course had Hoop, who are Al Baxter (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin), Nick Edgar (vocals, guitar, ukulele, flute, harmonica), Emily Allen (violin, viola), Glenn Coldham (bass) while tonight Gary Hunt was filling in for drummer Rusty Knox.
Read More...
This Silent Divide - Single Review: Beautiful Creature
25 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
Read More...
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe - 24/05/2023
24 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
Read More...
View All Articles By Kev Rowland

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • APT.
    ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
    Gracie Abrams
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • SAILOR SONG
    Gigi Perez
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem