Aoife Doyle This Time the Dream’s on Me
A
Review by Sarah Swinburne
oife Doyle is a Dublin based singer on an upward
swing in her career. Her 2013 album This Time
the Dream’s on Me is an excellent showcase of
her talents both as a singer and a bandleader.
Nestled somewhere between jazz and folk, Doyle
has received critical acclaim both for her recorded
output and her highly polished live gigs. Her
debut album consists of ten covers of well-known folk, jazz and
country songs which have been given the Doyle treatment. Doyle’s
choice of songs to cover is interesting. An eclectic mix, including
songs made famous by Alison Krauss and Patsy Cline (‘Oh, Atlanta’,
and ‘She’s Got You’), two Bob Dylan songs and a Cole Porter
standard, Doyle clearly has quite a diverse taste in music. Diverse
too, is the talents of her backing band. While the band has had several
different incarnations since 2010, its current form appears to be a
winning combination. With Dominic Mullan on drums, Andrew Csibi
on double bass and Johnny Taylor on piano, it seems like a typical
jazz ensemble. However, coupled with Doyle’s stark, clear and robust
vocal quality, makes this album an instant favourite.
After earning a diploma from the London Guildhall School of Music
and a BA in Jazz Performance from Newpark, Doyle has been
performing around Ireland to ever-increasing critical acclaim. Like
Doyle, all members of the band are particularly accomplished in
terms of their musical qualifications. Pianist Johnny Taylor hails from
London originally and has studied at Trinity College and Berklee
College of Music in Boston (the latter has Quincy Jones as a former
alumnus). Andrew Csibi is a regular performer in the National
Concert Hall and is a dedicated teacher. Drummer Dominic Mullan
is also a graduate from the Guildhall School of Music and has
performed all over Europe. With highly educated and qualified
performers such as these, it is not surprising that together they
produce an exceedingly polished sound which marries well with
Doyle’s expressive voice.
The album has a strong start with Mick Ralphs’ ‘Oh Atlanta’. As
previously mentioned, this song is synonymous with Alison Krauss
and indeed, Doyle seems to be channelling her spirit. The clear,
melismatic melody with a decidedly folksy twang demonstrates
Doyle’s vocal ability, while the sparse accompaniment allows space
for each musician to shine. A lengthy scat solo at the climax of the
song however, proves to be the low point. While impressive in
technical terms, it perhaps went on a little too long.
Other highlights include ‘She’s Got You’. A Hank Cochran song
popularised by Patsy Cline is another example of Doyle’s particular
talent: turning country and folk songs into jazz standards. This is
especially noteworthy during Bob Dylan’s ‘I’ll Be Your Baby
Tonight’. Here, the tempo is kicked up a notch and steadily builds to
a rollicking height before sliding to a simmering close. This is also
the track in which Johnny Taylor is given free rein to spectacular
effect.
Overall, This Time the Dream’s on Me is a very confident and
assured debut album from Aoife Doyle. While it would have been
nice to hear more original work amidst all the covers, Doyle’s
masterful control of her voice, and her daring and effortless
improvisations of well-known melodies makes this album an
incredibly memorable start to what looks to be a very promising
career.
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