Peggy Chew is a Chinese-American singer who migrated to Europe, ending up in Switzerland, with stops along the way in London, France, and Spain.
Real Days, her third album and the first for the Swiss label Altri Suoni, has a musical agenda that allows Chew to indulge in a wide range of vocal expression. Significant space on the play list is reserved for
Charles Mingus and
Joni Mitchell. One of the album's high points comes with
Mingus' "Dry Cleaner From Des Moines" -- the tale of a gambling spree in Las Vegas with lyrics by
Mitchell -- done in vocalese. The track contains a lengthy musical conversation between Tony Renold's snare and Dominique Girod's bass. Very inventive stuff. Chew manages to avoid that trap singers who do vocalese fall into too often -- namely, sounding somewhat frazzled. She manages to convey the sense of that unique style without becoming hectic. The meat of the play list are the originals by Chew and pianist Adrian Frey. On "Northern Comfort," new meaning is given to the concept of the voice as an instrument. Performed entirely in wordless vocalizing, Chew's voice is the horn added to the trio. "One Step Beyond" is one of the pure ballads on the set, intense with boppish overtones. There's a slight shift of gears with the title tune, "Real Days." Chew continues to show off her scatting skills, but her voice takes on the mantra of a lead singer in one of the great American musicals of the 1950s or '60s. Further vocal diversity comes with
Jim Croce's classic 1974 hit, "Time in a Bottle," done so that it would be at home on a childrens' album. Again, another very effective vocal articulation. Frey's Chinese heritage comes into play with "My Lonely Room," which finds the group adding a Chinese gong to the mix. The lyrics for all the original material are reproduced in the liner notes. Chew is given a solid base by a phalanx of especially high-caliber and sympathetic instrumentalists. Pianist Frey and Chew are obviously united musically. The other members of the rhythm section are not simply relegated to the role of backup, but get plenty of opportunity to share in the soloing. This is a very democratic, sharing album and is recommended. ~ Dave Nathan