Elisabeth Lohninger: The Only Way Out is Up

Vocalist/Composer, Elisabeth Lohninger, a New York artist drawing from the sights, sounds and experiences of New York and her originating native land of Austria, has articulately put together an outstanding collection of eclectic and stirring compositions. All songs are written by Elisabeth Lohninger, except track 4 by Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman, track 8 by Charlie Smalls, & track 9 by Steve Swallow; all lyrics by were composed by Lohninger.

Lohninger has been invigorating the vocal jazz scene with her blend of multifarious and alluring stylings. A master at turning a phrase that drips with sincerity and longing, Lohninger has created her latest works, The Only Way Out is Up. Not only does Lohninger convey her ideas clearly as a vocalist, striking each emotional core of the song, she also has an innate ability to masterfully convey her ideas as a composer.

The Only Way Out is Up is clearly a New York City influenced disc; it's fast paced, just like the reputation the Big Apple is famous for. “Winter in New York City” perfectly captures the mood as Lohninger effortlessly conveys the story with well crafted lyrics. Lohninger showcases her ability to create textures, ranging from abstract modulation to scat.

On a supremely conceived and delivered “Spring Really Can Hang You Up the Most,” Lohninger shows her mastery of scatting, coupled with Mino Cinelu’s percussion, giving this cut a true flavor of spice. The title track clearly proves Lohninger’s compositional abilities. Fischbacher trades the acoustic for the electric piano and Donny McCaslin provides his husky tenor trademark as the vehicle for Lohninger to take a spin in her muscle car that could be called the be-bop excursion. With lyrics that poignantly cut to the heart of the subject matter, Lohninger shows off her witty and deep use of word.

“Swimming up Stream” is Lohninger’s composition sans words. Lohninger displays every ounce of her able alto voice with this vocalese that features Donny McCaslin on soprano. A recording with so many highlights  as this disc does not slow down at the end where most artists put their less favorable cuts, with Steve Swallow’s “Falling Grace,” with words by Lohninger, and the pop-oriented original “Free to Fall,” again featuring Fischbacher on electric piano. The Only Way Out is Up is a full fledged offering of vocal delights, rich harmonies, well-written lyrics and fascinating compositions. Lohninger is certainly a talent in the Cassandra Wilson school of originality and style. This release is hopefully a beginning to a long line of recordings to come from Lohninger.