The Slow Club by Angela Carole Brown

When a chance encounter revealed the remarkable phenomenon to me, I boarded a plane and went to this place of my haunting. And as the song bids, I promptly ordered a sloe gin, indulged in a slow dance, grinned from ear to ecstatic ear at the wonders of my life, and couldn't help entertaining delirious notions that I might very well have been that Slow Club chanteuse in another lifetime, simply recalling pockets of memory from a long-dormant nether-plane."

Angela's seasoned alto cry, textured with layers of rich rasp, clear tones, and deep pathos, is backed by an extraordinary ensemble,led by Ed Czach on piano, Jonathan Pintoff on bass, and Craig Pilo on drums, a gifted trio of players whose widely differing musical personalities blend perfectly with each other and Angela's voice, to make THE SLOW CLUB come alive.

Complete personnel list:

Ed Czach - piano

Jonathan Pintoff - bass

Craig Pilo - drums

Ron King - trumpet

Billy Childs - piano

Michael Holmes - bass

Richard Martinez - drums

Bob Sheppard - woodwinds

Kevin Ricard - percussion

It is music with a dual personality that seems to be, at once, moody and irascible AND playful and lighthearted. It is the total reflection of the ecstasy of the new kid on the block. A euphoria fully backed and sponsored by the spooky allure of her title track, which was the beginning of it all, the catalyst for a jazz adventure, and the wonders that art simply begets.

HERE'S WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY

MUSIC REVIEW: January, 2006

Steven Ivory - Freelance music journalist, Los Angeles

"During these eleven tracks, Brown is as expressive a vocalist as she is inventive a composer. With a gifted musician's verve and a clever poet's ambition, she Artfully spans adventurous, whimsical bebop (the enchanting "A Kid And Her Dog;" a vivacious "Baser Instincts"), smoky, languorous, jazz balladry ("The Slow Club," "Rest Your Head") and tales of love, both elusive ("Presently Thinking") and malodorous (listen to "I've Got Something Here For You" and remember never to cross this woman). Brown's tangy, impassioned voice is irresistible, her supporting cast of musicians brilliant.

"In her CD liner notes, Brown writes that she only discovered Jazz at a pivotal juncture in her life. Yeah, right. I believe this chick emerged from the womb swinging. You can't teach this kind of soul and sass; either you have it or you don't. Listening to Brown express the music that flows through her veins is a treat, entrancing and fulfilling." - Steven Ivory, freelance music journalist

MUSIC REVIEW: March issue, 2005

Douglas Norstrom - Hifi & Muzik Magazine, Sweden

"Actess, songwriter, and jazz singer, Angela Carole Brown has many talents, but in order to discover these you've had to live in Los Angeles. Until now.

"Thanks to THE SLOW CLUB, the rest of the world gets a chance to acquaint itself with her, and it's well worth the trouble to look up the record on the web. Like the pefect link between Anita Baker's veiled voice and Nancy Wilson's storytelling skill, Brown here offers the best Vocal Jazz disc in several years." - Douglas Norstrom, Hifi & Muzik Magazine

MUSIC REVIEW: March 16, 2005

Karl Stober - Jazztrenzz

"Act like you've been there. Angela Carole Brown, vocalist, writer, and composer, did and scripted these lyrics to be fictitious in this venue never realizing that many memories did cross its doorway. For the Slow Club's home was indeed in Paris. So the story unfolds, but what is so stunning is how in music Ms. Brown allows the listener to escape down this moody alley way grasping for that elixir of sloe gin. THE SLOW CLUB, released in 2005 by Rue de la Harpe Records is a full set of pure Brown originals molded to her moods and technique. Ms. Brown, known for her dark and morose presentation, brings to the forefront her diverse and innovative approach to writing and performing. Out of the gate 'Presently Thinking' kicks off with a strong keyboard prelude only to segue into the sultry moods of Ms. Brown. A very nice piece to start the journey.

"Noteworthy are the talents of Billy Childs (piano) and Craig Pilo (drums) through the project. On the second cut 'Sixty-three' the combination of contrast between Kevin Ricard (percussion) and Bob Sheppard (woodwinds) is unique and a real trip. Nice tones and easy to relate to. Most all the arrangements are so listener-friendly and mate with the vocals nicely.

"Craig Pilo and Ms. Brown shake the house with 'Van Gogh's Ear.' However, prior to that piece, a solo performance by the woman herself allows all to witness the true talent absorbed within her, by many years of embracing music. 'Cantankerous' may be an effort about one's self. One never knows, but the style and delivery are so very special.

"Angela Carole Brown is amazing and should be experienced." - Karl Stober, Jazztrenzz

MUSIC REVIEW: April 24, 2005

John Stevenson - Ejazznews Magazine

"In our age of reality TV hype, focus group music marketing and wanton disregard for tradition, the vocal prowess of Angela Carole Brown (ACB) wafts into my living room like an invigorating aroma.

"On her recent recording, The Slow Club, Los Angeles based ACB shows a remarkable breadth and depth of artistic vision, beginning with an arresting abstract acrylic painting on the disc's front cover.

"Inspired from deep within the bowels of the Slow Club in Paris, France, ACB's canon of songs pivots easefully from the laid back neo-soul-shuffle of the title track, for example, to the breakneck-speed scat on the somewhat autobiographical 'A kid and her dog':

"'Betwixt and between rolling on the ground making mud pies ...

'If you really want to know the truth of it all ...

'She was a good kid ...

'Watching ballerinas in movies...

'So she puts on her very own show ...'

"Her eleven originals are wonders of lyrical artifice and invention, betraying a preference for bebop, swing, Afro-Cuban and funk conventions, among other genres.

"What sets ACB apart from her peers, however, is her obvious ability to interpret a lyric. On the basis of her own work, it is fair to say that she would easily lend to the jazz standards her own unique readings. For this, she utilises a powerful range of techniques, including near-flawless articulation, poise, great intonation and purposeful pauses and inflections. Needless to say, ACB is a professionally trained actress.

"It shows.

"Her mannered diction and narrative skills are heard to great effect on 'Van Gogh's Ear', a post-modern tale about artistic licence and fate.

"ACB is accompanied by high-quality sidemen who swing like the gallows and really know how to groove hard: Craig Pilo's masterful flourishes on the drumset stand out; Ed Czach and Billy Childs tease forth fantastic chord progressions at the ivories; West Coast woodwind wizard Bob Sheppard blows up a storm.

"THE SLOW CLUB eloquently represents ACB as a multi-faceted, well-kept secret on today's jazz scene. She deserves to be embraced by anyone whom appreciates jazz at its most creative and potent." - John Stevenson, ejazznews

MUSIC REVIEW: June 5, 2005

Maurice Edwards - Evolution of Media Magazine

"Talented vocalist Angela Carole Brown's recent release is the moody and playful epic THE SLOW CLUB from Rue de la Harpe Records. Properly supporting this set we have Ed Czach on piano, Jonathan Pintoff on bass, and Craig pilo on drums, creating various moods that capture the multi-facets of Angela Carole Brown.

"Her tone at times is hauntingly similar to the likes of Diana Ross but technically proficient like an Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Dianne Reeves, and Jon Hendricks. Angela's style is also vey personal and so full of raw emotion that at times it's kind of spooky in a weird way. One thing is for sure, this dynamic singer cannot be pigeon-holed as one type of vocalist. As you will hear on THE SLOW CLUB, Angela displays various styles of jazz like Bebop, Latin Jazz, Swing, Vocalese and song interpretations that concentrate more on emotion, rather than form, lika a Nina Simone.

"Jazz lovers will be entertained by Angela's highly charged original compositions. Not afraid to get down and dirty, Brown has fun with the Latin Jazz flavored 'Sixty-three,' and the swinging tale about 'A Kid and Her Dog,'while Craig Pilo delivers a vigorous drum solo. On 'Out of Breath,' to witness the exchange between Angela and pianist Ed Czach is like experiencing one of jazz's great moments in the making. 'Rest Your Head' brings the tempo down to a sentimental purr. An excellent choice for the Quiet Storm format.

"Angela Carole Brown's THE SLOW CLUB is an outstanding and long-overdo recording of great jazz music."

- Maurice Edwards, Evolution of Media Magazine

Also please check out Angela's novel, TRADING FOURS, a story of four L.A. musicians whose lives collide in a single day. Available now at Amazon.com or BuyBooksOnTheWeb.com

And her MySpace page at MySpace.com/angelacarolebrown

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