Rebecca Rafla: Fundamentally Unfinished
With so many vocalists out there, it can be hard to stand out. Fundamentally Unfinished by Rebecca Rafla cuts through the plethora of material that’s been released in the last few years. Her voice is svelte and tinged with a quick energy that doesn’t displace its sweet tone. With both originals and covers, there is much to explore on this scintillating project.
Rafla’s own compositions mix with the covers easily – though she’s decided to divide the release in two, with the covers coming in the second half. Many of the tracks have a romantic air to them, while still alternating between the slower paced and the more energised, such as I Love You I Do (I Do) versus Sunday. And it’s this ability to create a more encompassing style that should be applauded. Without it, there would be less cohesion throughout.
Though there are superb songs in the beginning, three of the best are to be encountered near the end. Sweet Nothings whisks in a stronger New Orleans style, much in the vein of Catherine Russell. The vocal and piano tradeoffs are effortlessly accomplished and provide more space for the instrumentals to shine. Rafla might not have the vocal power of Russell or Ella Fitzgerald, but she makes up for this with her ability to swing and to sway the rhythm as she sings.
Then Little Boat offers a marvelous arrangement on a classic tune. The inclusion of strings further warms the piece without turning it into an overly saccharine rendition. Even the singer’s shift to Portuguese slips in and away like a breath of spring. The last piece, What A Difference A Day Makes, perfectly ends the release. Both vocals and instrumentals are balanced, sharing the sonic space masterfully. The trumpet dancing behind Rafla’s voice adds just enough interest to not be a distraction, and instead it is a delight. The tune rewards the listener (though Fundamentally Unfinished seems an easy listen even for non-jazz fans), finishing a creative and stirring project on a high note.
Discography
Fundamentally Unfinished; A Day and Then Forever; I Love You I Do (I Do); Without You; Sunday; I Love You; Sweet Nothings; The Very Thought of You; Little Boat; What a Difference a Day Makes (37.07)
Rafla (v); Rob Dixon (s); Steve Allee (p); Kenny Phelps, Richard Floyd (d); Jesse Wittman (b); Patrick Wright (g); John Raymond (t); Brian Pattison (tb); Kathryn Hershberger, Yoonhae Swanson, Anna Czerniak, Rachel Patrick (strings). Jazzville Studios, Nashville, Indiana, June 2024–April 2025.
Rebecca Rafla Music
CC Syndicate: Flying High
Led by Cote Calmet, a Peruvian drummer now located in Granada via Ireland, the CC Syndicate brings a funky Latin flavour to its music. Flying High shows off not only each musician’s individual talents but the excellent cohesion of the group as a whole moving sound-machine of jazz fusion.
Charles William Light Goes To Jail immediately establishes the upbeat energy. It is an accessible tune that has a bit of growl to the instrumentals and the overall playing style seems less “clean” than some groups. The growling quality reminds of disco songs such as Stayin’ Alive or Boogie Oogie Oogie. The sound seems a bit muffled, with a slight reverberant quality – sort of smokey in the way of Take Five by Dave Brubeck. Yet the team is much more multi-cultural than Brubeck, and Shake It Til You Make It brings in slight country twang and a rumbling guitar playing in the lower octaves.
The “dirty” tone, so to say, is not a hindrance but rather the special feature of this group. These guys aren’t playing pop covers; they are grungier than that. Indeed, a grungy groove runs throughout the album. AJI is another spirited tune with soulful, reverberating guitar and sax lines. For Her takes a step to the romantic side, reminiscent of the soulful singing of Marvin Gaye or Al Green. Then Granada plays with an outer-space atmosphere, once again changing things up. Overall, Flying High does a great job of showcasing CC’s diverse and inclusive sonic blend, even if the set is a bit long. There are many flavours and textures to mull over and shimmy and shake to.
Discography
Flying High; Charles William Light Goes to Jail; Shake It Til You Make It; Ghosts; AJI; For Her; Granada; The Day The World Smiled Back; Instinct; Mango; Walkin’ Here (54.40)
Cote Calmet (d); Carlos Ligero (s, FX); Pierre Huarniz (g); Tommy Moore (b).
Independent
Enten Eller + Gianluigi Trovesi: Ελπίδα (Elpida)
Some ensembles are not afraid to dive into the odd and the diverse. Italian group Enten Eller (founded by guitarist Maurizio Brunod and drummer Massimo Barbiero) has a nose for the unexpected. Featuring the terrific Gianluigi Trovesi, the group’s release Ελπίδα (Elpida) offers a different flavour of jazz.
Tracks such as 7/13 and Noparietto are noticeably more experimental, with the harsher sounding guitar work and reverb. The former sounds much more garage grunge band than jazz, or at least traditional jazz. Not an easy piece to listen to, it seems to be rooted in an anti-melodic outlook. But then the group switches to a calmer tone, as with the title track. Though Trovesi’s saxophone enters with a slightly shrill tone, it retains a bit of grace as it warbles on. Alcides Mood switches in, once again straddling the line between melodic and approachable and eerie and innovative. Enten Eller (Danish for either/or) is a sly evocation of this push/pull style, of unravelling more traditional structures with “disruptive” instrumental solos. The long lengths of these pieces also help to disorient the listener, purposefully or not. They allow the musicians to augment the piece and draw it out into weird (if clever at times) shapes.
Ελπίδα (Elpida) is not for the jazz beginner, which is a slightly sad thought. Because of the less tuneful nature of the compositions, the listener can feel left out of the equation. It appears that the ensemble is more concerned in playing with sounds than in offering easily digestible ones. This is not a negative in itself. There are many quirky moments that mesmerise throughout the project. However, the accessibility factor diminishes the total value, regardless of the talents of the musicians themselves.
Discography
Boule De Suif; 7/13; Enten Eller; Alcides Mood; Noparietto; Non Lo So; Aquarius; Sud (64.15)
Trovesi (as, acl); Alberto Mandarini (t, flh); Maurizio Brunod (g); Giovanni Maier (db); Massimo Barbiero (d, pc). Grand Hotel Billia, Saint Vincent, Italy, 6 December 2025.
Dodicilune ED621-6
