This project originated in 2020 when Sarah McKenzie recorded “Corcovado (Quiet Nights)” with guitarist Romero Lubambo and cellist Jaques Morelenbaum as a trio. The reception to their Facebook video was so favorable that they performed at several European jazz festivals. For ‘Without You’ McKenzie added bassist Geoff Gascoyne (who had worked with Michel Legrand and Jamie Cullum), drummer Peter Erskine, and percussionist Rogerio Boccato plus guest Bob Sheppard on flute and soprano. I notice that McKenzie, Morelenbaum and Erskine are all credited with working in different studios, while it does not say where the others recorded at all, so I can only presume McKenzie recorded hers and then it was left to the others to add their contributions at a later stage as opposed to recording at the same time – also, McKenzie herself recorded her parts in three different studios on both sides of the Atlantic, so this sounds like quite a drawn out process.

Nine of the songs were originally by Antonio Carlos Jobim, here taken is a somewhat languorous manner, although her own “Mean What You Say” is much more up-tempo and has a wonderful feel of belonging in a musical. It is a pleasant album, but the spark is definitely missing, even though there are some fine individual performances and I believe this is one of those times when it has been somewhat overthought, and if instead they had put the trio in the studio and told them they had just three hours to produce an album the result would have been far more exciting. It is relaxing, and nice to listen to with lots of nods to the music of South America, but not one to which I will be rapidly returning.

Rating: 6/10

Links:
https://www.sarahmckenzie.info/
https://normandylanemusic.com/