Pazz-- Kevin Hall and Christine Rosholt (photo Travis Anderson)

It took Minneapolis jazz singer Christine Rosholt and British pop songwriter Kevin Hall three years of emails, trans-Atlantic travel and studio sessions to assemble the dozen songs and about twice as many musicians that became Pazz. Pazz? It’s a term they coined to reflect the melding of Christine’s jazz sensibilities and Hall’s more pop/R&B flavors, and also the name of one of the tunes Hall composed specifically for Christine. In fact, Hall, in collaboration with British lyricist Adrian Maddox, wrote 9 of the 12 tracks for this project; the other three were written earlier, intended for an EP “as therapy for the 'overblown' project of Vice Versa [his London-based pop band],” notes Hall. 

Pazz comes nearly a decade after Christine launched her jazz singing career and following two successful releases featuring primarily songbook standards with classic jazz ensemble instrumentation, Detour Ahead in 2006 and Lipstick in 2009.  Yet even within the jazz realm, Christine has continually sought new challenges, such as putting together a show of Harold Arlen songs and more recently, a show of songs set to the words of Shakespeare (“Jazz Meets the Bard”). But Pazz went further. “Christine, unlike a lot of artists, will have a go at anything, even when it is outside of her 'comfort zone,'” noted Hall. For the first recording session at Creation Audio, expertly guided by Steve Wiese (producer as well as recording engineer), Christine enlisted some familiar cohorts—guitarist Vinnie Rose, bassist Graydon Peterson, drummer Mac Santiago, along with Hall who plays keyboards and adds some backup vocals. From there, things “mushroomed,” said Christine, and the later sessions added trumpeter Dave Jensen, the full Hornheads (Jensen, Kathy Jensen, Steve Strand, Keni Holmen, Michael Nelson), mallet master Dave Hagedorn, vocalists Lucia Newell, Katie Gearty, Rachel Holder and Sophia Shorai, LA-based percussionist Estaire Godinez, hometown hero Ricky Peterson on B-3, renowned violinist Randy Sabien, Creation's tech man and percussionist Miles Hanson, and the Minnesota-based, internationally acclaimed Steeles (J.D. and Jeralyn). 

Pazz isn’t so much a fusion of jazz and pop as a set of pop/R&B music filtered through the swing and zest of musicians with terrific jazz chops. Through Hall’s songs, Christine covers the full range of her voice and personal music history, bringing some of her theater background up front, generating some true blues feeling as well as savvy balladry, but stretching well beyond that foundation into a pop realm that at times seems pleasingly retro, at times closer to hip-hop than bebop. 

The more retro offerings include the opening “I Want You,” featuring Hagedorn on marimba, it’s swinging 70s feel and occasional spoken word suggesting some of the hits of the Supremes. “When You Look at Me” is more reminiscent of the 50s/early 60s, the addition of the Hornheads and Steeles bridging the sound of big band swing and rock’n roll slow dancing, sort of Ray Charles Meets the Lettermen. With the Steeles giving it a gospel kiss, the brassy harmonies of the Hornheads work effectively with Christine to sell this one. The title track, again with the Horheads and now the addition of Ricky Peterson on B-3 and Gearty, Holder and Shorai singing backup, brings pop into the 21st century with a hip-hop groove of repeating rhythmic lines and steady drum beats. 

Again the Hornheads shine on “No Pleasing You,” but now there’s the glitter of Broadway, the sound of a show song with Christine fronting a big band as the ensemble turns in one of its most jazzy interludes.  It ends all too soon, as it seems that there is a script waiting to be written here, more stories waiting for Christine’s dramatic flair. Surprisingly, perhaps, “One Day” also has hints of Broadway despite an almost classical intro from Randy Sabien’s violin. There’s certainly a folkloric, klezmer swing feel as well as that stage show groove, enhanced by virtuosic percussion. But the suggestion of theater is reinforced by the spoken word, politically themed coda. 

Hall notes that “Better Off Alone” and “Just Say You Will” were written “to show the range of Christine's voice;” both also highlight Dave Jensen’s solo trumpeting finesse. “Better Off Alone” is strongly flavored with R&B rhythms, a slow dance that pushes Christine beautifully into her lower register. The bluesy “Just Say You Will” starts with Jensen’s dark trumpet solo over Graydon Peterson’s steady swaying pulse and Vinnie Rose’s swampy lines. Christine’s voice, clear with touches of grim resignation, perfectly balances against the trumpet sneers, guitar swirls, and male voices in the background--vocally, maybe the strongest track of the set. At the other end of her range, Christine readily moves into her higher register on the Latin influenced “Midnight Moon,” with Lucia Newell narrating the introduction in Spanish and providing a background vocal with percussionist Estaire Godinez. One of the more simple arrangements of the recording, emphasizing Estaire’s congas and Vinnie’s Latin guitar, it’s a lovely swishing samba—Latin Pazz! 

Two more tunes have that swampy blues vibe: “I Can’t Take it Anymore” brings back Dave Hagedorn, this time on vibes, while “You Can’t Bring Me Down” as a rapper’s edge and some deliciously slimy guitar from Rose. The pared down closing track, “The Last Goodbye,” has just enough syncopation to give it the feel of a jazzy ballad, yet a drumming groove and Christine’s dramatic vocal delivery help define “pazz.” But it is “So Not Over You,” bringing back the Hornheads one last time, with its catchy rhythm, jazzy swing, and vocal duo (Hall joining Christine here) that seems to best define the concept of “pazz.” 

With her strongest recorded performance to date, where will Christine Rosholt go next? The banner on her website reads “Jazz Standards,” but her voice, having matured gracefully within the jazz genre, now seems primed to tackle broader territory.  And given the booking trends of today’s “jazz” clubs, her timing couldn’t be better. Those who find jazz just a little too esoteric will appreciate the wide-ranging appeal of the sounds of Pazz, perhaps without realizing they are listening to a large cast of the area’s most talented jazz musicians. Just make that the area’s most talented musicians. Plus one cool Brit.  
 

Pazz will be celebrated at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis on December 1st, 7 pm, with Christine Rosholt, Kevin Hall, the Hornheads, Estaire Godinez, JD and Jeralyn Steele and nearly the entire cast of the recording. Visit www.christinerosholt.net for CD availability information. CDs available at the Dakota show. 
 
 

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