Marie Goudy’s Paloma Sky HOLD ON TO ME

November 10, 2024

MARIE GOUDY’S PALOMA SKY

HOLD ON TO ME

Ontario Arts Council

Marie Goudy, trumpet/vocals/composer/arranger; Jocelyn Barth, lead vocals; Stu Harrison, piano; Nick Arseneau, bass/vocals; Andrew Scott, drums/vocals; Alison Young, alto saxophone.

Marie Goudy leads a jazz/pop quintet. They call themselves Paloma Sky. She has composed and arranged all the music for this album, as well as playing trumpet, singing and writing lyrics.

Paloma Sky opens with “Cardinal in the Snow,” a tune that is a mix of pop music and contemporary jazz. Jocelyn Barth is the lead vocalist. Occasionally, Goudy adds harmony to Barth’s voice. Marie Goudy’s trumpet soars impressively during her improv solo.

“Her Glory” is a fusion of a Straight-ahead jazz with a pop music twist. The lyrics are once again interpreted by Jocelyn Barth’s soprano voice. She and Marie remain friends since childhood. This storyline is about Athena, the ancient Greek Goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology. It seems that Zeus, the god of thunder, split his head open one day and Athena popped out. Consequently, she was born from thunder. Stu Harrison’s piano solo is wildly creative, while Andrew Scott lays down a funk drum line. Nick Arseneau’s bass line pumps the groove into the piece with a repeating melody line. The title tune, “Hold On To Me” is all blues.

Goudy’s original tune “Made for Me” was inspired by the Stevie Wonder tune, “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” Like many, Marie Goudy is a big Stevie Wonder fan. She takes an extended solo on trumpet during this arrangement. “At the Shore” is a haunting ballad with Goudy adding a plunger to her trumpet sound, reminding me for a brief moment of Miles Davis. This time the lyrics are taken from a poem by Alex Dawson.

Goudy’s song, “I Missed You” sounds like a hit pop tune, very commercial. The closing tune, “Mexico” has a 1980 funk-feel, but the lead vocalist is no funk singer. This one should have been an instrumental with Goudy’s trumpet becoming the lead soloist.

Here is an album showcasing the original music of Marie Goudy. It’s produced as a fusion of pop and funk music, while played by an ensemble of jazz players. The arrangements never let me forget that Marie Goudy is a jazz trumpeter, but the album itself leans more to the pop side of town.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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