CD Review: Gaea Schell – After The Rain

With After The Rain, Gaea Schell has created an album with a perfect balance of jazz standards and original compositions. A Canada native, Schell studied classical harp and has a jazz degree from Montreal McGill University.
After The Rain was recorded live, without overdubs and corrections, this gives the album an honest sound and energy hard to accomplish otherwise.
Even though Schell adds her gentle voice and good vocal phrasing on tracks like “September Rain”, “It Could Happen To You”, Jobim’s ” How Insensitive” (Insensatez), and Hoagy Carmichael ‘Skylark”, most of the music on the release are swinging instrumentals wonderfully played by Schell and company.
Schell is a pianist with great technique and influenced by jazz legends like Oscar Peterson, especially on the uptempo tracks, “Alone Together” and “Immergence”, and by Bill Evans in the ballads “After The Rain” and “Requited”. James Alsanders keeps the music swinging on drums, Scott Steed and Roger Shew shares reponsabilities on bass while Chuck Manning add some good sax solos on “After the Rain” and “Immergence” All arrangements are by Gaea Schell and almost half of the compositions are Schell originals including the bossa nova “In Moonlight”.

Tracks: Alone Together, September in the Rain, After The Rain, It could happen to you, Tangible, How Insensitive, Truth’s Surrender, In Monlight, Skylark, Immergence, Requited, In Love in vain, Social Call

Musicians: Gaea Schell (piano), Scott Steed, Roger Shew, Chris Colangelo (bass), James Alsanders (drums), Chuck Manning (sax)

 - Wilbert Sostre, JazzTimes

Oct. 25, 2010 | Reviews