Heather Pierson – Back To The Light
Ms. Pierson isn’t a newcomer & on this release, she sings original songs that sound as if they had been written for a cocktail lounge, easy listening-jazz artist of the 50s. The tunes are smoky, richly flavored, cognac smooth & her band knows how to flitter around in the confines of a good groove.
Comparisons? Yeah, one in particular. Madeleine Peyroux – but Madeleine is a little closer to the Billie Holiday school of jazzy underpinnings. Heather is silky with her bluesy rhythms (“Dusty House Blues”) & I say that because she glides effortlessly into a Joni Mitchell jazz style (“Up Here In the Mountains”) far & away from the anatomy of the 40s musicality. Heather & Madeliene Peyroux share a smoothness that’s expressive & impulsive. But while Heather’s songs on first listen have their attraction, her voice is what’s captivating. How can a pop-sounding vocalist have such a jazzy reserve in her tonality?
The 8 enlightening compositions of Back To The Light (Drops Sept 27/Sacred Vessel/25:32) were recorded live & produced & written by Heather. Recorded in Portland, ME the showcase is short unfortunately & that may be my only criticism. The material is strong throughout, interesting & because they’re not made up of oldies & standards it’s like discovering a motherlode of new “standards.”
Ms. Pierson sounds entertaining as she sings her songbook. And the fact that the trio is relatively youthful makes it work with a surprisingly optimistic vigor. They get it. The sound of the recording is captured with a “live” feel which was a good production decision. Minimal overdubs with modern language rather than the jive talk of past dusty bluesy pieces. That alone is refreshing.
The title track “Back to the Light” is more Broadway-oriented – it’s good but sounds like Heather’s singing under a bright single spotlight center stage with the band & chorus in the dark. The groove is tight & filled with the scent of cigarettes & expensive glasses of red wine. The spare percussive taps are expressive & lend a bit of originality to the composition. I like the conclusion when the band kicks in hard. Excellent performance.
“Gutter” is a stunner for me. Singing solo with a banjo Heather sounds like she’s conjuring the ghost of the brilliant early 1930s chanteuse Lee Morse (“A Million Me’s,” “If You Want the Rainbow”). Her tonality, intonation & phrasing are all dead-on as well as the spare instrumentation. I’ll wait for more from Ms. Pierson in the sole spotlight or not.
Highlights – “Dusty House Blues,” “Up Here In the Mountains,” “Feel Something,” “Back to the Light,” “Joy Came Back” & “Gutter.”
Musicians – Heather (vocals/Steinway Model A piano/Wurlitzer/B3/tenor banjo), Shawn Nadeau (bass/harmony vocals), Craig Bryan (Slingerland drums/percussion/harmony vocals) & Leah Boyd (harmony vocals).
Color image courtesy of Tim Shellmer. CD @ https://heatherpierson.com/home
Song premiere – https://americanahighways.org/2024/06/18/song-premiere-heather-pierson-up-here-in-the-mountains/
