Marie Goudy's Paloma Sky: Hold on to Me
Marie Goudy

Technically, Hold On to Me is the debut full-length from the Toronto-based quintet Paloma Sky, but it might also be seen as a follow-up to its bandleader's 2018 12tet release, The Bitter Suite. Just as trumpeter Marie Goudy was at the helm of that project, so too is she the one steering her latest. Yet while her partnership with vocalist Jocelyn Barth is common to both releases, pianist Stu Harrison, bassist Nick Arseneau, and drummer Andrew Scott weren't involved in the earlier album's creation, which makes Hold on to Me formally qualify as Paloma Sky's debut.

Stepping way from the mariachi influence that permeated The Bitter Suite (even if vestiges of it emerge in the closing song, “Mexico”), the new album embraces a smart and deftly realized jazz-pop hybrid. In keeping with Goudy's eclectic musical taste—she cites Stevie Wonder, Maria Schneider, and Kenny Wheeler as key compositional influences—Hold on to Me ventures into different stylistic zones without losing its identity in the process. The musicians show themselves to be a versatile bunch as they advance from one song to the next, and (Harrison aside) they complement their playing with harmony vocals that nicely enhance Barth's lead. Powerful trumpet solos are woven into the songs with care (terrific turns in “Made for Me,” “Close to Me,” and “Dance of the Stars” versus a brooding, mute-donned one in “At the Shore,”), such that Goudy's presence as an instrumentalist is imposing but not excessive, and occasional solos by the other players add to the music too. It's as a composer and arranger, however, that Goudy most distinguishes herself when her melodic writing is so critical to the music's impact.

Consider the design of the opening “Cardinal in the Snow” as a prime illustration of how seamlessly her material transitions from one part to another. Consistent with a song about the uplift the sight of a red cardinal against a snowy backdrop can bring (and by extension the special people in one's life capable of doing the same), the material exudes radiance, albeit subtly. After a sultry groove introduces the song, Barth enters to add to the music's lustre, and the song's alternating verse-and-chorus structure establishes itself. The shifts from reserved verse to rousing chorus are smooth, and space is made for a spirited solo by the leader and an electric bass one too. The vocal parts re-appear to guide the song home, with Barth and the others singing to resolve the material in a satisfying arc. The other compositions don't replicate the structure of “Cardinal in the Snow” but resolve themselves in a manner that also feels natural and methodically worked-out.

Goudy surrounded herself with excellent collaborators for the project. Barth's vocal versatility is called on throughout the disc, and she responds to its challenges handsomely. There's a huskiness to her voice that suggests she's absorbed her fair share of Ella Fitzgerald recordings; Barth's no clone, however, but rather someone forging her own style. The other instrumentalists elevate the material with tight ensemble playing and crisp solo statements (see, for example, how expertly Arseneau grounds the muscular “Her Glory”) and commendably never overplay. The authority with which the band delivers the songs suggests ample rehearsal time was spent polishing them.

Goudy and company time-travel to an earlier era with the bluesy title track, particularly in the leader's use of a plunger to boost the music's earthy growl. Rawness is needed to make a performance in this style feel authentic, which Paloma Sky accomplishes in its fiery execution. Goudy herself acknowledges that the love song “Made for Me” was inspired by Wonder's “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” and admittedly an echo of the earlier song is audible in the new one. Tailor-made for the smoothest of smooth jazz playlists, the song's nevertheless affecting in the sincerity of its declaration and the smoothness of the band's treatment. In a similar vein is “I Missed You,” whose infectious swing is bolstered by strong solos from Harrison and Arseneau. “At the Shore,” a poetic, almost dirge-like setting featuring lyrics by Alex Dawson, finds the group tackling ruminative blues-jazz balladry. With alto saxophonist Alison Young guesting, the closing “Mexico” presents the band at its loosest and energizing the song's south-of-the-border feel with a groove that's hard-driving, upbeat, and soulful.

September 2024