**** Downbeat Magazine
Gretchen Parlato redefined jazz singing by adding touch of soul, R&B, pop, Brazilian music and other genres into her style. She continues pushing boundaries on The Wise Ones. The creative arrangements, Parlato’s vocal approach and an all-star cast, including Robert Gasper and co-producer Alan Hampton, make every track shine.
The zooming bass of special guest Meshell Ndegeocello drives “Never Come Down.” Parlato and Ndegeocello harmonize on a vocalize bridge that slips into a long improvised conclusion, with Parlato vamping on the song’s title and Hampton’s spoken asides delivered with dub effects.
Moonchild’s Max Bryk and Amber Navran collaborate with Parlato on “Already Gone,” a song about the end of an affair. Hampton’s bass and Mark Guiliana’s percussion have a hint of bossa nova in the mixed-down rhythms, as Parlato’s vocals phrasing dances around an upbeat lyric, that fades out amid a flurry of shimmering synth notes.
“Mad World,” the Tears for Fears hit, is reinvented by Parlato and kora player Becca Stevens. They slow the tempo, add rhythmic, wordless, harmonized vocals and alternate leads on the verses. Hampton and Guiliana supply discreet rhythmic touches, as Stevens adds subtle kora fills.
Josh Cease, another friend, contributes “Landslide,” to close the album on a quiet note. Parlato sings softly about the breathtaking feelings of a new relationship over an Afro/Brazilian beat, ending in a long outdo, with her repeating the tab line: “I’d like to stay awhile.” —j. poet