“Any Joke” from the “Laughing with the Raindrops” album
I love it when music goes places! And when these places are unexpected and awesome like on this track from Virginie Lacour-Puiboube’s debut album with her band “Laughing with the Raindrops”.
It starts with a fade in, in the middle of a jazz trio jam session, with a great piano solo from Gabriel Keen, driving walking bass (Alex Keen) and relentless drums (Jon Debruslais), to segue seamlessly into an easy-going groove which is really Virginie’s trademark style, tight and loose at the same time, and now we’re introduced to the tenor sax from Derek Nash and tasty guitar lines from Virginie herself… Then Virginie’s voice joins to tell us her story in a voice which is as much seductive as it is precise in its jazzy intonation. It almost sounds like she’s doing it without ever thinking about it, just letting the inspiration flow, but of course, this is just an illusion, and no doubt she’s been listening to all the jazz greats to have that kind of impeccable conjunction of swing and grace. Great background vocals are adding a cool soul color to this bittersweet tale of lost love – the song is happening at the time of a separation and the one left behind is pleading for anyone to tell “Any joke” to soften the blow…
There’s a great middle section that treads into standard jazz ballad territory with the tenor sax by Derek Nash who treats us with free flowing jazz goodness, it all goes so well, there’s even little production ear candies that are so nicely done, like the way Virginie is whispering “quiet” in your ears, and it ends like it started but with the sax soloing on top, and it could probably be played in a loop and sum up the “100% Original Quiet Storm Contemporary Jazz Soul” which is how Virginie describes her band’s music.
Verdict: 5/5 beards
Get this song along with the superb album at http://laughingwiththeraindrops.com/shop/