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Make Someone Happy
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| Editorial Reviews: | | |  | | Toronto's Sophie Milman has that rare ability to appeal to two often deeply separated worlds: those who like their jazz light and those purists who want their jazz heavy and nothing short of it. By having a more-than-capable traditional jazz band and challenging herself vocally to bring the swing, she has commanded respect from both camps. Milman's delivery is silky smooth, a gorgeous voice with a low register reminiscent of Fiona Apple and an upper register that brings Ella Fitzgerald's bounce and playfulness to mind. Like many jazz vocal discs, her sophomore release Make Someone Happy contains an abundance of covers, but some rather surprising in style. The often-done "Fever"'s arrangement is nothing like the original, containing more of an unnerving musical undercurrent than the traditional sultry one. Milman--who recorded this disc in her early 20s--covers a number of underdone melodies, from Stevie Wonder's "Rocket Love" to the Guess Who's "Undun" with composer/original band guitarist Randy Bachman offering his sonic inflections to the song. Disc high points include the smokin' jam "It Might As Well Be Spring," the sexy bossa nova of original track "Something in the Air Between Us" and the beautiful cover of "Eli, Eli" by Second World War Holocaust hero and poet Hannah Senesh. It is a brave and haunting number that Milman does great justice to. --Denise Sheppard | |
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| | Discovered at an amateur jazz outing in Toronto when she was 20, Sophie Milman is now 24 and a hot ticket with a new album, "Make Someone Happy".
Having been born in Russia, Sophie spent most of her early years living in Israel, moving at the age of 16 to Canada, which is now her "home", and where she made the unlikely transition from bookish teenager to glamorous jazz ingénue.
She still has an aunt and uncle, and some more distant family living in Israel, whilst the rest of her close family are in Moscow.
Since the release of her debut album "Sophie Milman", Milman has matured somewhat.
"Make Someone Happy" was recorded in Toronto with producer Steve MacKinnon (Molly Johnson, Serena Ryder), and features a very eclectic mix of songs, ranging from classic jazz standards such as Van Heusen and Burke's "Like Someone in Love", Rodgers and Hammerstein's ""t Might as Well Be Spring" to contemporary covers such as Stevie Wonder's "Rocket Love" and the Guess Who's covers of the Guess Who's "Undun" featuring Randy Bachman on guitar, and the classic "(It's Not Easy) Bein' Green", recorded by Ray Charles.
"It's a lot more retrospective and personal," she says. "I was satisfied with the first album because I hadn't been in a studio before, or had any kind of experience. But this album is all about my life and feelings, and every song has a personal connotation to me".
Sophie has a very pleasing low, bassy, and sultry voice - very suitable for singing jazz - and a confident manner in which she approaches each song. However, she does have a tendency to end her phrases with an overused playful vibrato which is somewhat anti-jazz in style but still very effective in a Marilyn Monroe-esque manner.
With this CD she continues her whirlwind and lucky career as one of the music industry's young jazz vocalists.
One of my favourite tracks is her version of "Undone" .
Interestingly, the legendary Randy Bachman of the Guess Who was invited and accepted to play on this song for Sophie.
Her take of "Fever" doesn't hold up to the original recording by Peggy Lee. Sophie's version has a sense of being over-arranged with too many tempo changes which in effect results in a loss of the bluesy grit which is so satisfying on the original version.
Another highlight is "It Might as Well Be Spring", where Sophie swings joyously with nice, very pleasing effect.
| | | A very fine follow-up effort to Sophie's first CD. Plenty of dazzling cuts, but my favourite is "It Might As Well Be Spring". Beautifully recorded, fabulous performances. You can't go wrong with this one.
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