Although Homage is his fourth CD in just a few years, singer Julian Yeo and his band (led by the terrific pianist-arranger Jesse Gelber) are always in homage mode, evoking the early decades of the 20th century. It began with their first CD, which instantly reminded me of old-time crooning stylists like Rudy Vallee and the early-career Bing Crosby. Indeed, they are two of the vocalist heroes and heroines singled out for this set of homages matching one singer to one song. Though ostensibly a set of salutes to singers, curiously, the numbers chosen are not religiously their major trademark songs. For example, for "The Shadow of Your Smile," Karen Carpenter of the brother-sister team Carpenters is not the first person to come to mind. And "You Go to My Head" might not be on the shortest of short lists for Judy Garland signature songs. As stated in the liner notes, the intention is not to channel each one's style, sound or musical arrangement. Julian remains Julian, which, for the uninitiated, means a certain slyness that can be very appealing, tempered with modesty and minimalism, and a dollop of insouciance, rather than any semblance of high drama, big-voiced singing or grandstanding.

For me, this is his best effort since his debut, due to the mix of different tempi and material and the cool arrangements that have more vigor and variety. The five-piece band is in the groove without an overdose of dozing lounge-iness. His prior release was more one color, as suggested by the title Deep Purple Dreams, intentionally mysterious and slo-mo musical takes. This is more engaging and Julian has a knack for making novelty songs like "Tico Tico" tickle the ear, never tacky and tiresome as such fare can be when others lay on the cute coyness or crank out more caffeine upon already percolating rhythms. He just makes them impish, simpler playthings, not over-selling them. As he sings on the track following that, "Give Me the Simple Life." And when a song has tenderness built in, he lets it speak—or sing—for itself, as in the blissful bubble-fragility of the awe in "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."

Australian-raised Julian Yeo shows a knack for international material here on a few selections and some Brazilian bossa nova classics ("So Nice" is exactly that). His own accent, somewhat of a stumbling block for clarity and diction when he began, has become much less of an issue but the charm that comes from it remains. His recordings rarely are commanding drama and visceral or roller coaster rides. That's not his scene and not his style. Nor is radical re-inventing. They remain generally laidback and become room-ambient-friendly, easy-to-take and easygoing and easy to keep company with. That's different from background music that blends in and is just subliminally-present entertainment.

Much here captures the ear and brings the shadow of a smile as we revisit even more timeless tunes that have been around ... how long? Well, as one number title has it so accurately, "It's Been a Long, Long Time" (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, circa world War II). And with singers like Julian around to keep the musical home fires burning, albeit at a low flame, they'll be around for a long, long time to come.


- Rob Lester

Głębokie Purpurowe Sny

Julian Yeo od początku swojej muzycznej przygody nawiązuje do bogatej tradycji muzyki jazzowej, traktując ją z ogromnym szacunkiem, ale też odważnie i nowatorsko uwspółcześniając.

Less is more.

Pared down is the direction we’re going here. Musical Director/ pianist Jesse Gelber keeps the other instrumentalists—Doug Largent (bass), Kevin Dorn (drums), Nick Russo (guitar), Alan Gruber (violin), along with the singular Julian Yeo himself—moving with swaying, undulating hips (ours if not theirs), unerringly carrying us with South-of-the-bossa nova rhythms unfettered through this CD. Seductive ornamentation on the piano and golden-earring work on strings only underscore the clutterless Yeo approach to vocals.

One is tempted to defer his style to some European influence or—excuse please—Far Eastern inscrutable exotica, but I think it is all Julian’s internal, well-designed, controlled style outwardly expressed.

It is difficult, unnecessary really, to single out any one number for either criticism or praise. The song palette—including Porter, Berlin, Loesser, Weill & Nash—is smartly chosen and arranged in muted tones all of a piece. When everything is said and done, we have a happening.

No applause please: just a quiet smile.

Noah Tree
Cabaret Scenes
May 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org

... I finally twigged to how clever Yeo’s concoction is. Closer attention reveals multiple clues that this a deliberate homage to vampiric lust. There’s the moonless night of the opening track, the Satan’s-little-helper theme that underscores Damn Yankees’ “Whatever Lola Wants,” the icy, emotionless rebuke of “How Insensitive,” vampires’ penchant for deep shades of purple and the reckless abandonment to romantic urges that propels “Let Yourself Go.” Even “On a Slow Boat to China” hints at setting sail from Shanghai to pursue centuries of globetrotting desire.
Chirstopher Loudon, Jazztimes

"Deep Purple Dreams," the recently released CD by talented Jazz vocalist Julian Yeo, is a nostalgic throwback to the great era of crooners such as Bing Crosby. Yeo's voice is articulate and delivers a soft and stunning ambiance with spectacular style and grace.

"If someone wants to make a "Indiana Jones"-era prequel to the Twilight saga, I think this could serve as a ready-made soundtrack."

THE WHLI TOP 50 RELEASES OF 2008

"Unusual Passage brings something that may become usually expected from Yeo and Gelber: a gratifying, stylish time warp that's refreshing and rousing. "

"with his deep, resonant, pitch-perfect voice..."

"Like his musical hero Fred Astaire, Yeo carries a natural ease in his voice, projecting a gentle quality that fits these songs like a glove."

"Listening to the album, one can easily imagine how these now-classic songs sounded when they were the new hits. In Yeo’s care, everything old is new again."

"Pour a martini and raise the glass and an eyebrow. It's all done very successfully and with craft."

"Singing classic standards against a musical setting that’s straight out of a ’50s jazz club (you’d swear that you can almost hear the clinking of glasses in the background). I can’t remember the last time I encountered such a thoroughly original artist as Julian Yeo or an album that’s as utterly entertaining as his Old New Borrowed Blue."