VANISHA GOULD

SHE’S NOT SHINY, SHE’S NOT SMOOTH

Cellar Music

Vanisha Gould, voice; Chris McCarthy, piano; John Sims, bass; Jongkuk Kim, drums.

Opening with the title tune, Vanisha Gould sings the ‘hook’ of the song, describing her honest perspective on music and life.  She scatters in some spoken word messages like bird seed.  We, the listeners, become the hungry birds pecking at the meaning of her prose. I wish she had put her lyrical ideas to music, singing them instead of speaking words, but that’s just this journalist’s opinion. I enjoy the tune, “Demure” that starts out sounding a little like the melody of “Too Close for Comfort” but quickly heads in its own unique melodic direction. Gould is a find lyricist. You hear it in these lyric.

“Be neat – be kind – demure – easy to find.  Shrink and talk very little – do not be too brittle – the art of a common design – Yes hush!  –  don’t talk too much– be sweet – and when they tell you you’re not being wise – curtsey and smile – Apologize.”

That’s the kind of lyric I was longing to hear on the title tune. During the “Demure” arrangement, Chris McCarthy splashes improvisation all over the 88-keys, and John Sims takes an expressive, improvised bass solo. This song swings!

All compositions are written by Vanisha Gould. Her presentation sounds like a one-woman theatrical show. Each song is a story from her personal perspective, melodically strong and lyrically interesting. For example, “Real Estate Agent Love Song” is a title that begs the listener to uncover the story behind it. In waltz time, we learn that it’s a love poem, describing the love nest of two people. This is followed by “Cute Boy,” a lyrical flirtatious monologue to woo someone back into your arms that is now with someone else. Bassist, John Sims takes an interesting solo in the spotlight, with Chris McCarthy egging him on with soft piano accompaniment.

The slow swing, “Now That You’re Here,” showcases Gould’s smart lyrics and bebop tendency. She’s good at putting lyrics to swiftly moving jazz phrases, like Jon Hendricks used to do. Gould knows how to make the lyrics fall to the beat of the music.  She knows how to rhyme on the rhythm. That’s something a lot of songwriters don’t understand. She also knows how to write a relevant ‘hook’ inside her songs, one that listeners will remember, either melodically or lyrically.  When Gould sings “Donovan” I feel her emotion. Vanisha Gould gives an honest delivery, with tear-stained vocals that sing of the son she lost.

This is an album of diary-like exposures, sewn into the musical fabric Vanisha Gould wears. She’s a strong singer, so I don’t know why (at times) she chooses to talk the lyrics instead of singing them. Gould has a voice you will remember, with a bit of tremolo that may remind you of Nina Simone’s unforgettable vocals. Her trio is tight and supportive, each musician bringing their brilliance to interpret Gould’s unique songwriting. Vanisha paints life pictures in bright colors, declaring the beauty of imperfection with her artistic lyrics, and capturing the listener with her melodies, her vocals, and creative band arrangements.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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