Liv Monaghan, Slow Exhale Review
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Liv Monaghan is a vocalist, author, composer and lyricist that was born in Ireland. Moving to France in 2012, her imaginative spirit and passion has gained her much success in the prolific jazz scene in Paris for many years, performing at all the main jazz clubs. Monaghan cites her vocal and musical inspirations come from: Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley and Duke Ellington. In 2014, Monaghan created Bird&Bass, an alternative jazz group based in Paris, which performs original songs written by Liv Monaghan and her long-time musical collaborator double bassist Sava Medan. That relationship has produced Monaghan’s debut album titled, Beauty in the Park. Monaghan’s imaginative and image provoking lyrics come from her combined talents as an author and lyricist. She creates her narratives by using insights of her own lived and imagined experiences to create impressions that invite the listener into their own thoughts and reflections. Monaghan is now releasing her second album, Slow Exhale, that contains eight tracks of her sincere and refined songwriting, beautiful singing and solid band.
Positives:
A beautiful mix of styles, tempos and forms to create a tapestry of musical emotions and colors. Monaghan’s vocal range is impressive, and is her use of vibrato, vocalizations, rhythmic sounds and conveying of emotions through her phrasing and articulations.
Bottom Line:
Monaghan has an outstanding set of compositions on Slow Exhale. Her unique blend of elements of jazz, world music, and Irish folk-song traditions all combine to yield an organic and emotive sound. The goal of any author, be it through musical notes or words, is to communicate and evoke emotions in the mind and heart of the people that are experiencing the art form. Since Monaghan is both, this gives her a broad perspective to draw upon when creating the notes and lyrics. The stories are always full of surprises and with her intuitive and sensitive band, always told with passion and musicality. Monaghan’s phrasing and range is very impressive. She also makes creative use of vibrato, sometime fast, sometimes slow and other times none. In today’s large world of jazz and world artists, it is nice to find a musical haven of well-written lyrics and the music that is Slow Exhale. The album is a reflection that requires a soft, intimate approach to reveal its emotional secrets. Monaghan’s soft and insightful approach is beautiful and will set you on your own evolving story within the canon of European and American jazz music.