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Accordeonfestival Day 13 - Vienna
Rachelle Garniez & The Fortunate few from New York City were a complete contrast to the first part of the evening, (the Zig Zag Trio from Bulgaria). The singer and accordionist has often been compared to Tom Waits, sometimes even Lamb chops and Sandy Dillon. Though these comparisons may be accurate, she in the first place proves her own. Her set guides you through armrest, obscure tango-rock, soft-punk, jazzy blues tunes und cajun From Louisiana.
Her singing simultaneously pulls you into the world of pain and joy. The 4am Jazz piece "Swimming Pool Blue" awakened memories of Chet Baker's "lost ness", thanks to Rachelle's voice and Pam Fleming's trumpet: "until my dreams come true", the most tender temptation since there is voice. Stunning also "Shadowland" and "Silly Me", a millennium song about the increasing anonymity of so many earthlings. "Some people just want to be happy / Some people want diamonds and gold / Some people don't want to make troubles / They just do what they are told . . .". Cajun-Swing with beautiful lyrics and wonderful melodies. Like an earworm, you can't forget it. The sensitive interpretation brings hypnosis. Dive in and immerse yourself. You already know that such a song is much too short, should be longer.
Rachelle Garniez' instrument, the accordion, is not in the center of the happening, it acts more like the rhythm guitar. What sticks out though is her voice, that moves between tender and bitter, whispered heights and self confident depths. The accompaniment by Fortunate Few is solid, ahead of all Pam Fleming on trumpet and the delightful bass lines of Catherine Popper. Joe Ruddick wasn't simply amazed and happy to play the Boesendorfer piano, but tried out quite a few things in an appreciative way. It could easily have been more. Fine also the drumming of Barbara Merjan, who especially in the more quiet moments, and there were quite a few of them, made everything right.
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