Eva Schubert
Hot Damn Romance
(Diva Records)
Snare and a soft horn bleat swings us into “Flying High,†the opener of Eva Schubert’s new EP, Hot Damn Romance. Presenting a warm, easy-to-listen-to voice, what this Vancouver Canada singer-songwriter delivers are tight little jazzy gems with some great musicians playing behind her.
The pulsating “Brawler†is next, once again featuring Alexander Brown’s horn, on this certainly sly and sexy groover, while the title track is even slower and low down. Here we get lots of Michael Kavalerchi’s jazzy guitar interplay, again Brown blowing his lines, Mark Hundervad popping along on drums, and Schubert vocally strutting across the cool backing.
This is one of the highlights for me on this EP, especially when we get some masterful noodling from Kavalerchi.
“Sweet Man,†is another tight little jazzy number, while the deep and thick “Water†ends Hot Damn Romance. This last tune is an expert read, unlike anything that flowed from Schubert before. The band creates a wave-like atmosphere behind their lead singer, gone are the stand-out solo moments (great though they have been) and we really get the first taste of Bryant Didier’s subtle bass playing, slow and low as it is here.
What a wonderful ballad to end this collection on.
Eva Schubert’s Hot Damn Romance is masterful modern jazz and with her musicians she creates a nice little brew, topped off with some great tunes.
