C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
On her standards collection Indigo Moods (Jazzed Media, 2015), Judi Silvano was celebrating 20 years of recording. On Lessons Learned, the vocalist looks inward, producing 10 grown-up original compositions that remind me lyrically of Louise Van Aarsen‘s Destiny (Self Produced, 2012). The music to which Silvano applies words is forward-thinking and progressive, stylistically well beyond even post-bop. Producer/Husband Joe Lovano allowed a broad latitude in approach, perhaps best illustrated on the disc’s final selection, “The Music’s in My Body” sporting some interesting guitar interplay between Kenny Wessel and Adam Kolker propelled by the assertive drumming of Bob Meyer and percussionist Todd Isler. This is a collection of original compositions on the other end of the spectrum from Lorraine Feather’s Math Camp.