Louise Cappi: “Mélange” (2017) CD Review

Louise Cappi is a jazz vocalist based in New Orleans, who digs into the blues and pop, and delivers each song with a good amount of soul. On her 2017 release, Mélange, she gives us a mix of original material and covers of popular songs. She is joined by Jenna McSwain on piano, Paul Longstreth on keyboard and organ, Cali Millington on bass, Dean Zucchero on bass, David Hyde on bass, A.J. Hall on drums, Pierre Menefield on drums, Alex Krahe on guitar and backing vocals, Russell Ramirez on trombone, Chuck Bee on trumpet and backing vocals, and John Doheny on saxophone.

The album opens with an original jazz number, “Talk To Me,” written by Louise Cappi, with an arrangement by Jenna McSwain, who delivers some sweet work on piano, particularly during that lead section halfway through the track. This song has a good romantic air. “When I’m in your arms/You whisper sweet and low/You’re laying on the charm/Oh, say you won’t let go.”  “Talk To Me” is followed by a seriously good rendition of Randy Newman’s “Guilty,” a song from his 1974 LP Good Old Boys (and one that Bonnie Raitt included on her 1973 album Takin’ My Time). Any song that begins with a line like “Yes, baby, I’ve been drinking” is a song most of us can relate to, especially these days. This rendition features an excellent vocal performance and some nice blues guitar. “You know how it is with me, darling/I just can’t stand myself/It takes a whole lot of medicine, darling/For me to pretend that I’m somebody, I’m somebody, whoa, I’m somebody else.” I love the way she delivers that last line, putting power behind it, partly in the repetition, and partly in the way she digs into it. Louise Cappi then gives us a cover of Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” this version having a gentle funk element. Oh yes, we are certainly back in the 1970s now. This rendition features some good work on drums, as well as wonderful leads by both Alex Krahe on guitar and Paul Longstreth on keys. “Feel Like Makin’ Love” was written by Eugene McDaniels.

“Bella Nola” is an original number that begins with some pretty and gentle work by Jenna McSwain on piano. Louise Capri delivers a passionate vocal performance, this song celebrating New Orleans. “She’s wrought iron lace/Beads and throws/With a slow southern pace/Her mighty river flows/She’s a Mardi Gras ball/Queen of them all.” I love Russell Ramirez’s work on trombone, which lends her a sort of friendly support while she sings, then rises to take a great lead spot. But it is Louise’s vocal performance that really shines here and is something special. This is one of my favorite tracks. Things then get groovy and funky with her rendition of “Chain Of Fools,” featuring some delicious work by David Hyde on bass. Plus, there is the horn section of Chuck Bee on trumpet and John Doheny on saxophone. The band gets a chance to jam on this one for a bit, and the song transitions smoothly into “Unchain My Heart,” with another powerful and passionate vocal performance. She follows that another original composition, “It Is What It Is,” this one beginning with piano and then some soulful humming that speaks as clearly as any words can. This song’s title is a line that I hear people say a lot these days. I always wonder if saying that is just showing an acceptance of a situation or is an admission of defeat. But here Louise certainly takes control: “But now I’m the one who’s free/I’m taking back my power/Don’t forget to leave the keys/It is what it is/I can’t change the way you feel.” Then in the second half, this track takes on a delicious rhythm for a time. It then ends gently, returning to the beginning, with humming and piano.

I’ve said it many times, but it continues to be true: You can never go wrong with Gershwin. On this album, Louise Cappi delivers a cool rendition of “Summertime” that swings and moves, featuring some nice work by Alex Krahe on guitar. Paul Longstreth delivers a great lead on keys. And toward the end, Louise gives us a bit of Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” That’s followed by the final original composition of the album, “Let’s Make Love,” a playful and somewhat easygoing number. And what better way is there to spend the days during the pandemic than making love? “I want to kiss you from your head to your toes/So, baby, take off all of your clothes/In the kitchen, on the floor/In the bathroom, and out the back door/On the sand down by the seashore/Oh baby, let’s make love some more.” And I dig the trombone. Louise Cappi then wraps up the album with a heartfelt and moving cover of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You.” I consider myself lucky that I got a chance to see Leon Russell perform this song in concert, and only six months before his death in that most horrible of years, 2016 (a year it seems we are somehow still stuck in). Paul Longstreth delivers some excellent work on piano.

CD Track List

1. Talk To Me
2. Guilty
3. Feel Like Makin’ Love
4. Bella Nola
5. Chain Of Fools/Unchain My Heart
6. It Is What It Is
7. Summertime
8. Let’s Make Love
9. Song For You

Mélange was released on September 29, 2017.