Mark Christian Miller: “Music In The Air” (2022) CD Review

Jazz vocalist Mark Christian Miller released his first album back in 2004, and music lovers had to wait more than a decade for his second album, 2015’s Crazy Moon. Well, fortunately, he did not make folks wait quite so long for his third release. Titled Music In The Air, his new album, like Crazy Moon, features some excellent choices of material. Joining the vocalist on this release are Jamieson Trotter on piano (Trotter also did the arrangements), Mike Gurrola on bass, Kevin Winard on drums, Larry Koonse on guitar (Koonse also played guitar on Crazy Moon), and Danny Janklow on alto saxophone.

The album opens with a cheerful rendition of “If You Never Fall In Love With Me,” a song written by Sam Jones and Donald Wolf, and recorded by Carmen McRae. There is a good deal of joy in his vocal performance. “I’m not the guy I was before/Because now you own my heart forevermore.”  Ah, there is just no way that this other person won’t fall for him, not after hearing this track. This one also features a totally delicious instrumental section, led by Danny Janklow on saxophone. Then when Mark Christian Miller comes back in, he presents some playful scat, essentially adding the vocal equivalent of his part in a jam. Wonderful stuff, that. This is music to raise our spirits, to get our minds back on important matters such as love. Then “Lullaby Of The Leaves” begins with some cool work on guitar, and features a phenomenal vocal performance. It all seems to move and breathe and swing so naturally. There is a brief drum solo just before the halfway mark, coming as a good surprise so early in the track. And when Mark Christian Miller adds his voice again, there is an intimate sense to it, like he is trying to help someone go to sleep, fitting for the lyrics. And then we are treated to more wonderful work on guitar. This is one of my favorite tracks. It was written by Bernice Petkere and Joe Young, and recorded by George Olsen And His Music back in the early 1930s.

“Music In The Air,” the album’s title track, is a bright and breezy and lively tune. These lines about music speak for all of us who turn to it in these strange times: “It relieves your worry and care/You can never feel low/Just as long as you know/There’s music in the air.” Amen to that. I love that lead on sax. I also love the way this track moves, swiftly, as if to help leave our worries and cares behind in its wake. Ah, that bass line is so good. And then check out that great lead on piano in the second half of the track. At a certain point toward the end, the track mellows only slightly while Mark Christian Miller begins to deliver some scat. As he continues, the music rises in power again, a wonderful moment. That’s followed by “I Wished On The Moon.” This version has a rather pretty opening, with something of a sense of mystery about it. It’s an interesting rendition. That guitar part, for a moment early on, has something approaching a surf guitar sound. Then the lead on guitar has a very different feel and is part of what makes this track special. In the second half, there is a section where the lines are delivered kind of as spoken word. These additional lines are from Pablo Neruda.

Mark Christian Miller then presents a more recent song, Warren Zevon’s beautiful “Mutineer,” which is the title track to Zevon’s 1995 album. It has a rather solemn opening on piano, in contrast to the song’s first line, “Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.” There is something gentle about this track, and in the delivery. “Ain’t no room on board for the insincere/You’re my witness, I’m your mutineer.” That’s followed by “If You Could See Me Now,” which also has a gentle vibe. It is a song of longing, sung from the perspective of someone who is still in love, and not able to hide his feelings. “I’ll try to smile, but can I play the part/Without my heart behind the smile.” Approximately halfway through there is a pretty lead on guitar.

Mark Christian Miller’s rendition of “Too Darn Hot” begins with bass, and features a wonderfully catchy and cool rhythm. This song was written by Cole Porter for Kiss Me, Kate. The main line, “It’s too darn hot, too darn hot,” makes it a perfect song for Los Angeles, especially in August and September, and so is a song that regularly gets stuck in my head. This is a sexy rendition, in large part because of that work on bass, which has a loose, confident vibe. “I’d like to meet with my baby tonight/Get off my feet with my baby tonight/No repeat with my baby tonight.” The song ends with his vocals supported by just a bit of work on drums. The album then concludes with “Prelude To A Kiss,” which has a delicious late-night vibe. Yes, romance still exists. “Oh, how my love song gently cries/For the tenderness within your eyes/My love is a prelude that never dies/A prelude to a kiss.” And check out that gorgeous saxophone part halfway through. Close your eyes and let it wrap itself around you and carry you away to a better place.

CD Track List

1. If You Never Fall In Love With Me
2. Lullaby Of The Leaves
3. Music In The Air
4. I Wished On The Moon
5. Mutineer
6. If You Could See Me Now
7. Too Darn Hot
8. Prelude To A Kiss

Music In The Air is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2022.