This week, I’ve had Cécile McLorin Savant’s “John Henry,” #OnRepeat. I always love discovering new vocalists who utilize their whole voice; it’s refreshing to listen to a knowledgeable vocalist.
Cécile McLorin Savant is a singer-songwriter from Miami, Florida. She has studied classical voice and improvisation, spending a lot of time in France. Her music focuses mostly on unique interpretations of rare Jazz and Blues pieces, singing in English, French, and Spanish. I can’t believe I haven’t heard of Cécile before now; she received Grammy nominations in 2014 and 2015 for Best Jazz Vocal Album and she has several albums out already. Cécile also won the Thelonious Monk competition in 2010, a prestigious award for many aspiring, young musicians.
“John Henry” is a song based off the tall tale of John Henry, the African American folk hero who had the job of hammering drills into rock to make holes for explosives to make room for railroad building. The legend goes that John Henry’s skill and strength is put to the test in a race against a steam-powered hammer; a competition which he won, but ultimately also killed him because his heart gave out from the immense work. Cécile conveys the ballad of John Henry perfectly, accessing the heavier, lower part of her range to imitate John Henry’s speech and adding licks and riffs that are stylistic of a bluesy, folk song. The ease at which she uses space, phrasing, and range to convey musical messages is at times staggering and something that many vocalists aspire to. I encourage anyone who is looking for ways in which to access all parts of their range and voice to use Cécile’s album, Woman Child, (along with all of her other music) as a good listening to reference.
Take a listen below:
Do you have a new musician or group that you can’t get enough of? Leave a comment below!