JOYCE COOLING
Revolving Door
Narada
Read
the Jazzitude Review of Joyce Cooling/Third Wish
Contemporary jazz guitarist Joyce Cooling
has a winning, understated tone and technique on guitar
that makes her the logical successor to guitarists like
George Benson, Larry Carlton, and Lee Ritenour. Even if
you don’t particularly like the style, you have to
recognize that Cooling offers a cool sound and can play
in the groove nicely. Her latest CD, Revolving Door,
attempts to deal with a serious subject. Cooling’s
brother suffers from schizophrenia, and the revolving door
of the title is meant to convey the loss of control and
isolation that can result from mental illness certainly,
but also from smaller, everyday frustrations such as a bad
commute, getting caught in the rain, or arguing with a loved
one.
That’s not to imply that the music on
Revolving Door is portentous or a downer. No, the
music if definitely middle of the road and radio friendly,
but the grooves are good and Cooling’s guitar work
is solid. Her vocal work is less distinguished, but on the
smoky Steely Dan-like “Little Sister” it works
ok. It’s a little less successful on the jazzier “I’ll
Always Love You (Ode to the Audience),” but does not
affect the album’s overall listenability. There are
contemplative moments, such as the acoustic guitar showcase
“In Case of Rain,” which begins with an out
of tempo solo cadenza before sliding into an easy bossa
groove. Another soother is “Cool of the Night”
with its Benson-like background vocals and guitar embellishments.
The title track turns out to be a slow blues
groove that Cooling mines beautifully, demonstrating that
she can play sweetly and with some bluesy influence on the
same track. At the same time, she can invest even the radio-friendly
smooth jazz formula with some extra spice, as on the piece
“At the Modern.” Yes, it sounds a little familiar,
but overall there is more happening here musically than
on many smooth jazz releases. As previously mentioned, “I’ll
Always Love You (Ode to the Audience)” is rather awkward,
thought its sentiment is sure to be appreciated by many
a musician out there.
Cooling continues to work with her co-composer,
producer, and keyboard player Jay Wagner, and the two musicians
display a synergistic effect in their work together. Wagner’s
arrangements and keyboard work support Cooling and make
her guitar interjections all the more effective. “Come
and Get It,” for example, seems like fairly standard
smooth jazz fare on the surface, but there can be little
doubt that Wagner’s horn arrangements and keyboard
underpinnings give an extra kick to the track, setting up
some really nice solo playing by Cooling.
Fans of Cooling and contemporary jazz alike
will be pleased with Revolving Door, another sharp
release for the San Francisco Bay area guitarist. Like her
other releases, this one provides smoothness and lushness,
but not at the expense of musicality and some hot guitar
work from Joyce Cooling.
