The album opens with a delicious rendition of "No Moon At All," which interestingly begins with a short bass solo, setting a cool atmosphere and tone, preparing us for Lisa's entry on vocals. Her approach is several shades of cool too. I love this rendition, which is just vocals and bass. Drew Gress delivers some excellent work on bass, particularly in the middle. There is a certain joy to Lisa Rich's delivery, which we need. "What a perfect night for love." Oh, yes. This music makes it the perfect night. What a wonderful start to the album. That song is followed by "Two Lonely People." This one starts with piano, a gentle and pretty touch to Marc Copland's playing. Lisa Rich delivers a captivating vocal performance, grabbing us with the first words she sings: "The two lonely people/Sit silently staring/Their eyes looking coldly ahead." And soon Drew Gress comes in on bass. The line "The world was their moon once" connects the song to the first track. "But then time came and broke them/Reality woke them/The world's not so pretty, it seems/For love that once mattered/Is old now and battered." Here Lisa Rich is a good companion in the night. This track also features a nice instrumental section in the second half.
"Beginner" begins with some scat, Lisa's voice at first supported just by bass. There is a playful vibe to this, her voice like an instrument. And as the piano comes in, she continues the scat. This leads straight into "How Can We Sing About Freedom?" which is an original number by Lisa Rich. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "How you gonna sing about freedom/When the world's closing in/Candles on the table/But there's no peace within/The markets crash/The people clash/And the truth is wearing thin/How can we pass over to a place we've never been." There is some anger behind her delivery, but more important is the power and the spirit in her delivery. This song also gives the album its title in the lines "Well, I can't walk, but I still rise/In the song I sing/This voice is what I've got/So I can let my freedom ring." In the second half, there is a bass solo. This is one of my favorite tracks. "I lift my glass, sing my song/Not 'cause things are better/But because silence feels so wrong." That's followed by "Estate," which she sings in Italian. She delivers a beautiful vocal performance, full of passion and ache. This track also contains a wonderful lead on piano. It's a song of memory and longing, which we feel in every note.
Time Out was the first jazz album I ever got, and that began my great fondness for Dave Brubeck. On this album, Lisa Rich gives us a good rendition of "Take Five." I sometimes forget that Iola Brubeck had written lyrics to the song, which Carmen McRae recorded with David Brubeck in the 1960s. Lisa delivers some delightful scat in this rendition, and that is part of what causes this recording to stand out. There is also a strong lead on piano, as well as a cool lead on bass. Lisa Rich then delivers an excellent rendition of "Quiet Now," giving us a gorgeous and moving vocal performance. There is weight to the advice she gives: "Live for just this moment/Yesterday's gone, try to let it be." She makes this song her own. It doesn't feel like she is reciting familiar lines, but discovering, or creating them, living within the song. It is a remarkable performance. And then check out that piano lead in the second half, which is at moments exciting, at others touching and tender.
Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" was given a set of lyrics by Kitty Margolis and re-titled "Ancient Footprints." Lisa Rich's rendition of "Ancient Footprints" includes some vocal work before she begins to deliver those lyrics, and in that early moment Dave Ballou's trumpet moves in concert with her voice, which is interesting. Throughout the track, Dave Ballou delivers some really nice work on trumpet, including a wonderful lead in the first half. This track also contains excellent leads on both piano and bass. "Eons of changes, illusions of some progress." That line in particular stands out for me, for I've come to the conclusion that we as a species have not really made any progress (except in scientific knowledge, of course). At the end, Lisa's voice and the trumpet work together again, though this time with somewhat different parts. Then "Like Someone In Love" begins with a short bass solo before Lisa comes in on vocals. And she gives a great performance here. Listen to the way she delivers the lines "Sometimes the things I do astound me/Mostly whenever you're around me" for example. The piano then comes in, almost tentatively at first. At one point, Lisa moves seamlessly from lyrics to scat, so that the first part of the scat feels like words. It is only gradually that we realize she is not singing any proper words. A third of the way through the track, Dave Ballou enters on trumpet, delivering some delightful work. This track also contains a delicious lead on bass, helping to make it another of the disc's highlights.
Lisa Rich delivers another tremendous vocal performance on "Never Let Me Go," one that is so moving, so honest, so intimate, with supportive touches on trumpet. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?/You'd never leave me, would you?" This is yet another of the album's highlights. The trumpet lead in the second half begins in a tender place and becomes almost playful at moments, ready to engage in a little dance. The album then concludes with "It's Over Now (Well You Needn't)," which has a fun, lively vibe. It features delightful scat from Lisa Rich, as well as some wonderful work on both piano and bass, and a superb lead on trumpet. This song, and thus the album, ends with the words "It's over now," the music gently letting go.
CD Track List
- No Moon At All
- The Two Lonely People
- Beginner/How Can We Sing About Freedom?
- Estate
- Take Five
- Quiet Now
- Ancient Footprints
- Like Someone In Love
- Never Let Me Go
- It's Over Now (Well You Needn't)
I Still Rise was released on June 26, 2026 on Tritone Records.
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