Lisa Young Quartet ‘Grace’
The Age, 14 Dec 2006
“To be listened to and savoured …The strength of this album lies … in her use of voice as instrument ★★★★”
LEON GETTLER: It’s quite a few years since Lisa Young released her last recording as leader. In that time, she has worked in settings including the exciting a capella group Coco’s Lunch. Here, with bassist Ben Robertson, guitarist Stephen Magnusson and drummer Dave Beck, she introduces the listener to new vistas. Check out the konnakkol, the Indian vocal percussion technique here flavoured by jazz.
The strength of this album lies partly in her use of voice as instrument, partly in the sensitivity of the instrumentalists complementing and working in with her, answering her lines or bouncing off them. Imagine the voice stretched into various sounds that feel as if they are coming from a drum kit and you will get the idea. On the title track, at the start of the album, her voice works in with Beck as he keeps time to the staccato machine-gun-like rhythms of her wordless vocals before the rest move in. Or the way she beats out a rhythm against Magnusson’s liquid lines on Sa Ri Ga. To be listened to and savoured.
