EDY FOREY

CULTURE TODAY

So Soul Records

Guilhem Forey, keyboards/piano/Fender Rhodes/composer/synth bass/vocals/miscellaneous BG vocals; Edy Szewy, vocals/lyricist/sampling; Tom Gordon, drums/percussions; Femi Koleoso, Isac Jamba, Jonathan Tuitt & Seiya Osaka, drums;  Leonn Meade, drums/BG vocals;  Adam King, Andrew Robb & Luca Alemanno, double bass; Sharay Reed, Michael League & Dean Mark, electric bass; Carlinhos Percussao, percussions; Manav Sigh, table; Toku, flugelhorn; Alex Hahn & Bob Reynolds, saxophone; Miho Wada & Sarpay Ozcagatay, flute; Dave Frazer, mix; Bob Power, mix/master.

This duo mix of Edy Szewy and Guilhem Forey brings imagination, ingenuity, and improvisation to the forefront like a rainbow.  This is music full of color and creativity, beginning with an introduction by Forey on keyboards, where his solo is embellished by reverb.  There is the hint of an old spiritual song captured during his improvised solo and I sing along, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.  Nobody knows but Jesus.”

The title tune “Culture Today” is sung by lyricist Edy Szewy and kicks off with a strong hip hop beat.  Her vocal presentation is reminiscent of Erykah Badu, but unique enough to establish her own style and tone. A song called “The Fire” solidifies this music as a blend of Hip Hop, contemporary and modern jazz, with Guilhem Forey spotlighted on piano.

Their arrangement and treatment of the jazz standard “Nature Boy” is creative and features a strong percussive presence by Tom Gordon. The composition is completely modernized and is one of the few ‘cover tunes’ on this project.  Most of these songs are original compositions by these two artists.

A tune called “The System” begins with Edy rapping about this world of celebrity worship, complex with both good and evil doers.  The addition of a saxophone to this production creates a very Straight-ahead jazz feel, with the drums playing a funk beat and percussion brightly flavoring their arrangement.  You can clearly hear how Edy has been influenced by Motown and rhythm and blues.  By mixing in the Hip Hop culture, this duo embarks on a poetic, urban-jazz debut album.

Based in the UK, the duo enters this competitive business of music with a clear message of peace and love reigning over hate and discord.  I do hear some control issues with Edy’s vocals.  For the benefit of her continued success, I hope she will seek a vocal coach to help her sustain those notes and to control pitch issues.  But the enthusiasm and uniqueness of this duo overshadows these fixable challenges.  Edy Szewy is a strong and blossoming lyricist who knows how to create ‘hooks’ in her music, that invite the listener to repeat and sing along. This is a commercial strong point.  Her musical partner, Guilhem Forey, was born in Paris and raised in Nantes, France.  He was a child prodigy, displaying a strong interest in music as early as age three. When his grandfather introduced him to American R&B icon, Ray Charles and the music of Eric Clapton, Foley’s classical music study broadened. At age eleven, he began studying jazz piano.  On this project, Foley knows how to make ‘loops’ and establish grooves for Edy’s voice to float atop. Together, they have established an interesting sound. This music exhibits a sense of non-conformity and lyrical protest. The duo has been performing together since their teen years. Between Foley’s mastery of keyboard and commercial composing, paired with Edy’s artistry, lyricism and freedom, this debut album marks the beginning of a musical adventure plush with magical spontaneity, possibility and promise.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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