Canadian duo Koller Michels display musical depth and emotional power on new CD
(Published: June 08, 2011)
 June 8, 2011 (Toronto, CA) Written by Robert Sutton. All it takes is one listen to Koller Michels to recognize the musical depth and emotional power of this Canadian duo.
On their version of Fred Neil's 1966 folk classic "Everybody's Talkin,'" singer Julie Michels' booming, bluesy voice gives the words the haunting, melancholic tone of a Leonard Cohen ballad. George Koller's bass casts a slow, hypnotic spell. Their cover is just as evocative and indelible as Harry Nilsson's Grammy-winning 1969 cover - the one everybody knows - for the film Midnight Cowboy.
Similarly, Koller Michels take Simon & Garfunkel's immortal 1970 classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and add punch to its wounded identity; with Michels' big, arena-filling voice, brimming with the soulful zest of Aretha Franklin, it becomes a message of self-preservation as Koller's bass line provides the only plaintive atmospherics of the original.
Both tracks are from Koller Michels' new album, the aptly titled Bass and Voice. Cut after cut displays the spellbinding chemistry between the two, something that Koller revealed didn't take long to build. "We had an instant connection," Koller said. "We started experimenting in duo formation, and we soon recorded our first CD Singing Naked to great response. Then we toured and played together for 17 years."
Bass and Voice is only Koller Michels' second effort, and it was meticulously crafted. We recorded 26 songs in two afternoons, and I had to painstakingly whittle that list down to 14 songs," Koller explained.
Performing live together constantly enabled Koller and Michels to sharpen their performances on record. "Julie and I have done every imaginable type of concert together," Koller added. "We love the big soft seat theaters, and the silence that is possible in that type of presentation. We never play the same thing twice; we prefer to push the jazz envelope and create on the spot, twisting and turning with our natural moods and emotions."
More Information: http://kollermichels.com
Submitted By:
|
