Review of Julian's second album "Unusual Passage" by Jena Tesse Fox on Cabaret Scenes Magazine.
 Perhaps the most surprising thing about MAC award nominee Julian Yeo’s latest CD, Unusual Passage, is how straightforward it is. There are no gimmicks or twists for this album: Yeo sings pure, old-fashioned jazz in a style that’s straight out of the 1930s. For the older numbers, it’s a lovely return to a lost way of performing. For the more modern songs, it’s a fascinating reimagining of the contemporary as classic, and proof of how timeless a well-written song can be.The songlist features 15 classic numbers that have been interpreted time and again by numerous artists, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Yeo avoids any new “takes” on these standards, crooning “Speak Low,” “You’re Getting to be a Habit With Me” and “Quando, Quando, Quando” with elegant simplicity, and evoking Crosby, Astaire and Sinatra with his smooth style. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the ultimate effect is quite refreshing: Yeo’s youthful energy gives these standards a jolt of excitement and energy while preserving the old-fashioned sound. He clearly respects these songs, and sings them with great affection and care. “Mack the Knife,” sung almost in a whisper, has never been more quietly chilling, and “Nature Boy” is sweetly sad. The six-piece band, led by Jesse Gelber, creates a full, rich sound that nicely complements Yeo’s warm and gentle voice. 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. Jena Tesse Fox Cabaret Scenes July/August 2008 www.cabaretscenes.org Review of Julian's second album "Unusual Passage" by Ernest Barteldes on Global Rhythm.  Review of Julian's second album "Unusual Passage" by Rob Lester on Talkin' Broadway.  JULIAN YEO UNUSUAL PASSAGE Nominated in MAC's jazz vocal category, Julian Yeo has been working around town in different venues (his next is May 23, the official CD release event at the jazz club The Iridium, on Broadway). This second CD shows growing skill and more variety in the sound palette while retaining the elements that made his first recording notable: the terrific musical settings by his pianist, Jesse Gelber and a unique charm factor. That charm comes from odd couplings of attributes: a modesty in vocal approach with an unabashed confident air embracing the material; a throwback to old stylings that's so retro it seems hip through sheer will; his crisp approach to words and having an accent (Malaysian by birth, he lived in Australia until moving to New York a couple of years ago). I hadn't listened to the CD for a while, having lived with it for quite a while in advance as I was asked to write about the singer and material for the liner notes; pulling it out again this week, I'm re-charmed. The upbeat tracks are ingratiating and chipper, the more serious ones like "Charade" and "Nature Boy" have a sense of real melancholy and a slight air of mystery. There's a buoyancy on many tracks that makes it a fun listen. The Pajama Game's "Hernando's Hideaway" is especially playful - teasing and pleasing. Julian seems to have a special affinity for Irving Berlin, as his three choices here - "What'll I Do," "Isn't This a Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain") and "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket") � are highlights (two Berlin numbers on his first album, Old New Borrowed Blue were likewise good fits). I think it's because there's a directness and economy in the writer's style and the singer's general instincts and approach that make for a natural common sensibility. Mostly bright tempi, a cut-to-the-chase approach and non-indulgent instrumental breaks keep most of the tracks on the short side: eight of the 15 are well under three minutes in length, with four others just over the three-minute mark. The arrangements and musicians are so strong that a few longer band breaks or piano solos would have been welcome. Some may feel the generally frothy, smiley approach glosses over the lyrics and is a bit too stylized or atmospheric at the expense of substance, but the song choices rarely demand nuanced phrasing or drama. However, in the more serious numbers, there is evidence that Julian can delve into real feelings - although, as is his wont with other numbers, he does this in an understated way that is simple and effective. Instrumentation brings real period flavor to the nifty old tunes - with guitar, banjo, clarinet, mandolins, violins, mandolin, bass and drums (drummer Kevin Dorn, returning from the prior CD along with the anchoring and thoroughly delightful work of the pianist - see next CD review for quite a bit more of him). Unusual Passage brings something that may become usually expected from Yeo and Gelber: a gratifying, stylish time warp that's refreshing and rousing. Review of Julian Yeo's debut CD 'Old New Borrowed Blue' by Jeff Rossen from Cabaret Scenes Magazine.  Review of Julian Yeo & his Band's live performance at the Underground by Lucy Galliher on cabaretexchange.com.  Review of Julian Yeo & Trio's show 'I remember you' at the Triad by Peter Leavey from Cabaret Scenes  <http://www.cabaretscenes.com/PrinterFriendly/Yeo-JulianPrinterFriendly.htm> Excerpt from Review of Julian Yeo's Debut CD "Old New Borrowed Blue" by Rob Lester What Julian Yeo obviously is loving repeating is the sound of a bygone era in pop music. Using a highly stylized sound and attitude, he echoes early male pop singers like Rudy Vallee and Arthur Tracy. Picture him with a megaphone and a small dance combo, with the sound coming through an old gramophone. Julian recaptures a bit of the the thinner, tinnier sound of the very oldest Bing Crosby records and reminds me of a similarly retro coup by a singer named Taco who once had success making some records of old standards channeling the style. Pour a martini and raise the glass and an eyebrow. It's all done very successfully and with craft. The album is consistent in that Julian stays in the style of these out-of-style stylings. He clearly has musical knowhow, and the singing hints at more versatility and emotion lurking beneath the arch, reserved posings... Songs from the 1920s and 1930s like "Blue Skies," and "You Took Advantage of Me," originated in Broadway shows but have a long history as fodder for pop crooners, and Julian Yeo might have been one of them in the old days, judging from the way he seems to effortlessly step back in time. When he steps out a bit further, as in the 1948 "Steppin' Out with My Baby" (joining "Blue Skies" in his Irving Berlin catalogue) he doesn't miss a step. But, even with a later song like "Fever" that might heat things up, he carries the coy and reserve and his other recreated early 20th century trappings with him. Interestingly, too, he has found the perfect musical soul mate in pianist-arranger Jesse Gelber who is on the same page but adds a more modern jazzy touch, creating a neatly defined distance and contrast. Together, they put a layer of hipness on the vintage sound because they are referring to it and doing it at the same time. This is not to say they are winking at it, but they are looking over their shoulders while role-playing. A real litmus test is for their skill is that Jesse wrote two cool original songs that fit right in, as if they were long-lost companion pieces. Drummer Kevin Dorn and bass player Jon Flaugher complete the trio, and their playing throughout, especially on some tasty instrumental breaks, is hip and highly listenable. If a jazz trio can be described as adorable, they are that as they don the same musical era clothing that Julian has set as a fashion statement. A certain melancholy is hinted at in a couple of numbers, particularly in "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," one of his three Cole Porter choices, joining the dry-eyed faretheewell "Just One of Those Things" and the panurgy-filled but restrained mischievousness of "Let's Misbehave." Adding to the charm factor, you can detect Julian's Australian accent, which lingers as he's only been in America for a couple of years, working by day as a professor at Columbia University - not in music, but in accounting. Well, there's no accounting for where you'll find talent. With Julian Yeo's party-play-ready, intoxicating throwback of an album sung with panache and pastiche, he's someone to watch for the future (he debuted at The Duplex and has booked a couple of gigs in April in New York). His website gives a little more information and sound clips are available, too. Deceptively simple? Maybe. But also simply delightful. Excerpt from J. Travis' review of Julian's Debut CD 'Old New Borrowed Blue' on Envy Man  "The standards chosen all have arrangements that are simple, yet elegant and Yeo gives his choice a beautiful richness; a wonderful change from the over-produced "tributes" to these periods that are often released. There is much to enjoy... The singing is not by an artist trying to blow you away with deafening vocals, but instead comprises a sublte style that draws you in... Classic style prevails throughout this CD which is a wonderful celebration of love and romance... Yeo does a marvelous job of bringing some landmark songs back to the culture and reminding us that classics never go out of style." Excerpt from Fritz the Nite Owl Jazz's review of Julian's Debut CD 'Old New Borrowed Blue' on Short North Gazette  Fritz the Nite Owl Jazz Smooth Jazz WJZA 103.5FM/104.3FM Sunday 9pm to 12 Midnight Visit www.wjza.com APRIL 2007 Surprise – the unusual– the unexpected – the unique: these are some of the fringe elements of jazz that I enjoy immensely. Hearing a completely new approach to a song that I’ve heard hundreds of times before; hearing an instrument usually not associated with jazz swingin’ like mad and mixing perfectly with the more traditional horns; hearing an outstanding performer whose origins and interests seem, on the surface, to be incompatible with a liking for or a talent for jazz performance; these, and many more instances are just a few examples of the inherent-but-unpredictable jazz elements mentioned in the opening sentence. Here are some current CDs that display some of these qualities. Julian Yeo: Old New Borrowed Blue (www.julianyeo.com) Julian Yeo is a young Asian from Australia, with a Ph.D. in accounting. He is currently a professor at Columbia University where his research focuses on the relationships between accounting information and stock prices. With a background and specialty like that, he’s certainly not the guy I’d expect to hear as a retro-jazz-vocalist with a unique “new-old” approach often described by New York music critics as “Woody Allen-ish.” He’s also one-of-a-kind in that he’s dynamically 21st-century savvy, while at the same time authentically reminiscent of those megaphoned, straw-hatted singers of the ‘20s and ‘30s, à la Vallee, Jolson, Astaire, et al. Backed by a solid piano trio, Yeo works his charming, delightful, musical way through a collection of classics by such Tin Pan Alley composers as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Mercer & Arlen, Goodman & Webb, and Duke Ellington to name a few. The whole set is happy, hip, upbeat, and refreshing. My favorite tracks include his sly, wry, tongue-in-cheek rendition of “Let’s Misbehave,” the passionate intimacy he exudes on “Fever,” and the leisurely elegance he brings to “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” |
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March/April 2006
 “He has outstanding vocals - especially in the lower range. He was able to deliver his own special spin on many of the songs - standards in a non-standard way. ... the very charming and entertaining Mr. Yeo should soon prove to be a delightful and exciting addition to the NYC cabaret scene. " Stu Hamstra, Cabaret Hotline Online "It was a lovely show, and the entire evening was underscored by your charm, niceness, unaffected directness, and manifest love for the songs and for singing, which made being there a pleasure." Roy Sander, formerly Back Stage and Citysearch |
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 Track-by-track review of Julian's CD on past all concerns by John 'Val' Curtis. |
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