Reviewed by Carson James
Artist: Becky Archibald
Title: Mood Swing
Pianist Becky Archibald combines the elegance of classical music with the rich emotional textures of jazz. Some of the compositions here are so strong that you might think they were written decades ago. Actually, this is a new record with Archibald writing everything herself. The production and mixing are immaculate; it’s sounds almost as if Archibald is performing in your living room.
For quiet time, put on “Spring (duet),” with its golden collaboration of piano (Archibald) and cello (Ingrid Fischer-Bellman). It is lush and relaxing, putting calmness in your heart. “Waltz” and “A Really Mean Boogie-Woogie” quicken the tempo a bit but it all goes down smoothly like warm honey. I am particularly moved by ”Unspoken,” which has somewhat of a winter feel to it, perfect for this time of the year. As far as chill-out music goes, this is about as classy and sharp as it gets. Lovely!
