Sunnie Paxson’s modern jazz sound is upbeat and intriguing. The songs sound as if they were recorded live because of the spontaneity and invigorating quality of the sound. On “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love,” Ms. Paxson plays solo and communicates this rarely heard Charlie Mingus classic with a very personal and intimate feeling. This solo discovery is one of the best performances on the recording. By contrast, Ms. Paxson’s performance in a trio setting with Stanley Clarke on bass and Ron Bruner, Jr. on drums is quite assessable. Together their interplay on such songs as “Seabound,” “Dolphin Dance,” and “Three Wrong Notes,” gives the listener a complete listening challenge and sentimental appeal.
“Stella By Starlight,” “Something for Nothing” and “One Step Beyond” all lend themselves to classical music and love themes. The movements and phenomenal bowed bass solo by Clarke in “Stella By Starlight” and the addition of a string quartet (whose music was arranged by Sunnie Paxson) to the latter two songs feature commendable performances by Ms. Paxson. Each of these songs provides a glimpse into the borderless creativity of Ms. Paxson who makes the challenge of creating dozens of songs for Bohemian Sun seem easy.
Her winking nod to Javad Maroufi on “Khabhaye Talaei” is a further expression of Paxson’s ingenuity which spans from the modern sounds of contemporary jazz to this dynamic interpretation of Maroufi’s beautiful music. Overall, Bohemian Sun puts the woman behind the music directly in the spotlight and there you will find a diverse musical personality whose interesting perspectives and renditions will make you an instant fan. Buy Bohemian Sun today.
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