Emilie-Claire Barlow Albums (5)
'Winter Wonderland'
Release Date 11/12/2007
Tracks 11
Label JVC Victor
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Like a Lover'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 11
Label Empress Music Group
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
When one is analyzing jazz or jazz-influenced pop, it is important to know the difference between sweet and saccharine. Lester Young, Jo Stafford, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, the Ink Spots, and Glenn Miller were quite capable of sweetness; Kenny G, Najee, and Dave Koz, on the other hand, have often epitomized saccharine -- they are masters of artificial sweetness. So where does Emilie-Claire Barlow fit in? The Canadian jazz vocalist is definitely sweet -- very sweet -- but there isn't a trace of saccharine on Like a Lover. Barlow brings an enjoyably girlish charm to this self-produced bop CD, although she isn't a girl. Born in 1976, she was in her late twenties when Like a Lover came out in 2005 -- and for Barlow, girlish doesn't mean wimpy, thin-voiced, or unswinging. Barlow has an impressive vocal range, and she definitely swings -- she swings whether she is favoring high-speed exuberance on Bob Dorough's "(I've Got) Just About Everything I Need" or getting into ballad mode on "Blame It on My Youth" and George Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me." She swings whether she is singing in English (her primary language) or detouring into Portuguese on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "So Danço Samba." If Like a Lover has any real weakness, it is the fact that Barlow is much too standards-minded; she picks too many warhorses that have been beaten to death over the years. That isn't to say that Barlow should avoid standards altogether -- only that she needs to find more great songs that haven't been recorded so often. The more Barlow broadens her repertoire, the more she will stand out in the crowded field of jazz singing. But while Like a Lover could have been more adventurous in its choice of material, it's still a likable and pleasing effort from the Toronto-born improviser. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Tribute'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 10
Label Tribute Rhythm Tracks
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What The Critics Say
Only in her mid-twenties, Toronto-based singer Emilie-Claire Barlow is already a veteran of Canadian radio and TV, having started singing commercials at the age of seven. For this, her third album, she is accompanied by the eight-piece (plus guests) Barlow Group, which includes premiere Canadian trumpet player Guido Basso, with her father, Brian Barlow, on drums. The play list is an amalgam of tunes representing different genres and styles, including straight-out ballads and swing tunes, several Brazilian pieces, vocalese, and advanced jazz. The latter is represented by Chick Corea's "Spain," which Barlow does entirely in the wordless vocalizing fashion in front of excellent electric piano by Tom Szczesniak. The vocalese comes with the Annie Ross special "Twisted," which is not an easy song to sing if for no other reason than the need for the singer not to run out of breath midway through. Barlow makes it quite nicely. With his muted trumpet solo, Basso elevates the track to one of the best on the album. Highlighting the variety of the play list, Barlow pays tribute to Brazilian singer Rosa Passos with "De Flor em Flor" (From Flower to Flower), sung in Portuguese. Rounding out the session are two medleys devoted to melodies by Billy Strayhorn and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Barlow addresses this eclectic program with the assurance of the veteran performer she is. Her expressive vocals reflect her ample poise, confidence, and maturity. She takes her clear, light voice to higher ranges without sounding strained or shrill, as she displays on "La Belle Dame Sans Regret." Szczesniak replicates the solo of the late Kenny Kirkland, which was on the original recording of this tune. There is something for all vocal jazz enthusiasts on this excellent third trip to the studio by Barlow. ~ Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
