Gretchen Parlato – The Wise Ones

There is so much to like on Gretchen Parlato‘s new album “The Wise Ones”. I think it’s her most fantastic album to date, with co-production and writing by Alan Hampton and with guests Robert Glasper, Amber Navran, Meshell Ndegeocello and Becca Stevens. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the first single off the album, “Capricorn”, written by Alan Hampton and Matt Carter, sounds like coming right out of the 70s Stevie Wonder songbook. With its beautiful harmony and melody, cracking vocal arrangement, superb production and mixing, an incredibly sweet lyric, and one of Gretchen’s finest vocal performances, it still is our top song of the year. Gerald Clayton‘s piano solo is so fitting with its joyous and almost exulting spirit. It’s an amazing piece of work. Just stunning. And the album closer, the beautiful love song “Landslide”, written by Josh Mease, is another highly intoxicating tune and feratures Gerald on electric piano this time around. Once again, the vocal arrangement is just brilliant. We can’t get enough of this.

Meshell Ndegeocello is featured on “Never Come Down”, a percussion-heavy groove monster where Mark Guiliana shines on drums. Robert Glasper, one of Gretchen’s earliest collaborators, is featured on a couple of tracks here. Together, they wrote the striking “Rainbow” which features yet another unbelievably strong vocal arrangement and some fancy keys by Robert. “Gretchen Parlato is easily one of my favorite singers to collaborate with,” shares Glasper. “She understands, honors, and respects all the genres of music she touches. She’s not singing at it, she’s singing in it. It’s a rare thing to be able to cross over and get the attention of people in R&B music. That’s not something you really learn, that’s a gift that is given to you. Gretchen definitely has that gift.” They also wrote “Block The Sun”, a moody, introspective, meditative song about creativity and how to maintain it. It has a wonderful, steady flow, with Robert on acoustic piano this time around. And Robert also plays electric on a speedy version of Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic” which Gretchen totally turns into her own.

The wonderful songwriting of Alan Hampton can be witnessed on “It’s You” (we still adore his 2011 album “The Moving Sidewalk”), another tender and thorough piece about a love that’s passed. The other Josh Mease-written tune here is “In My Bed”, a bittersweet song where Gretchen and Alan gel perfectly. I really like the guitar playing on this one. Amber Navran and Max Bryk from Moonchild co-wrote the soothing title track which also features Amber’s flute playing and her ethereal vocals. Another beauty. They also co-wrote “Already Gone”, another groove-heavy staple with amazing drum work and some really deep keys coming from Robert, including a Herbie-heavy solo. The other cover song here is “Mad World” by Tears For Fears. Singer Becca Stevens really makes a statement on this one with her forceful, incredibly strong voice. This is clearly Gretchen’s best album to date. There is not a single note here which makes you want to skip forward. We’ve been lucky to have witnessed her playing most of the songs live in Berlin this past July and she’ll be back in Europe in October so don’t miss!

10/11 Oostkamp – De Valkaart
10/12 Cologne – Stadtgarten
10/13 Stockholm- Fasching
10/14 Trommen – Kulturhus
10/15 Amsterdam – Bimhuis
10/16 Stuttgart – BIX
10/18 Muri – Musig im Pflegidach