| Jazz |
As a radio programmer, one sometimes develops biases towards album covers, but if one knows their job, they don’t stop at that. Initially, an album that offers only covers of well-known songs makes me wary. Especially being European, I’ve lost count of the number of songs butchered by artists, whose choices we can understand, but certainly not their interpretation. Here it’s quite the opposite. Rose Mallet is a sublime interpreter, and one can only stand and applaud such ingenuity, such a beautiful vision of the art of interpretation with a voice of gold.
Yes, all the tracks on this album are standards. Being a Sinatra fan, I quickly turned to the track “Send In The Clowns”… just bravo, Madame! The interpretation with simplicity yet such power is a true delight! And if you’re not familiar with Rose Mallet yet, here’s an excerpt from her biography: Rose Mallett was born in Chicago, Illinois. She began singing in elementary school as part of the school choir. Rose’s family moved to Los Angeles.
At the age of 16, Rose formed an R&B singing group with three friends. The group was discovered by the R&B singing duo Sam & Dave, who offered them the opportunity to record a demo at Capitol Records. Once the demo was completed, they were offered a recording contract.
Years later, Rose was introduced to Marvin Gaye. Through this association, Rose was often a guest of Marvin during recording sessions at Motown and witnessed the creation of great songs such as “What’s Going On” and “Sexual Healing.” This exposure led to a working relationship with Motown producer Hal Davis, who gave Rose the opportunity to record demos of songs he had written to present to female artists already signed to Motown.
Ah! Yes! Now we understand why this album is so perfectly executed. There’s experience, consciousness, art. Yet another album that sets a standard. For the up-and-coming talents who will be the artists of tomorrow, they will quickly understand through this album the difference between singing and interpreting. Many people are singers, but few are interpreters. Besides being exemplary, this album is a true delight to listen to. If you enjoy vocal albums, this one is a must-have that speaks for itself. It’s the kind of album you’ll whisper about to friends, saying, “By the way, I came across an album by a singer, Rose Mallet. It’s just brilliant!
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, March 12th 2024
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