A natural ear for music…
The composition of Mover’s music is amazing. I have to give her credit for all the imaginative, original songs that she created for this album. Joy Mover has a natural ear for music Coming from a family of musicians, Mover has music flowing through her blood.
The album begins with “Have You Ever Loved?,” which is an interesting opening. Mover is willing to put jazz and a Latin feel together in this salsa-inspired piece. She immediately shifts into “Maria’s Song,” which has a Manheim Steamroller undertone. The filtering of Mover’s voice in “Maria’s Song” works well and wasn’t distracting. She composes her lyrics and melodies to fit her voice perfectly. Going from deep husky tones to airy lilts in “If I Could Tell You” is one great example.
The cover songs provide Mover an outlet to show her arranging skills. All the selections are classics that everyone should know. I loved the haunting spirit of “Nature Boy,” with it’s stark instrumental arrangement. The subdued saxophone use in the background was great. Mover’s airy voice was complimented well by the strings.
The spirit of “Corcovado” was perfect. It was one of those songs that can transport you to places when you close your eyes. I was reminded of Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz when I heard it. Of all the covers, I found “Fever” to be the most predictable. Even with Mover’s vocal abandon in the song, it seemed like some producer forced her to put this song on her album to make sure people take a look at it. Even the trumpet solo was good but predictable. The album ends with “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” the simplicity of which contrasted with the production style of the rest of the album. The piano is one of its strongest points. There isn’t much that you can do to the classic. I often think of two versions: the Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong version and the Mama Cass version. Joy Mover’s fits right in the middle of the two.
Her choice of covers and lyrics for her original songs sent a clear message of what Mover wanted to produce. There were arrangement issues, as I felt like Mover’s vocals were not the focus.
