EAST OF THE SUN REVIEWS
"The season of long balmy evenings, longer drinks and cool music is upon us, and music doesn't come much cooler than this cocktail jazz from Kiwiland."
Full Review - Sydney Morning Herald 11/07 by John Shand
"Quite a crew of local talent.
Moon's style is a low, breathy, assured and beautifully articulated intimacy, and her song selection is interesting:..."
Full review - Graham Reid – www.elsewhere.co.nz April 07
"This is the BEST jazz ensemble release of 2007 !!!!
As a former jazz vocalist for seven years, I cannot begin to tell all of you how EXCEPTIONAL this recording is. Caroline Lynn's vocals are so untouchably raw and pure and her voice is one of the most suave to yet hit the U.S. jazz scene.
Full review - Dr. Mark A. Goral - CD BABY
"She is at once contemporary and classic; a true artist in every sense of the word."
Full review - NZ Musician June/July07
"Her first local release is a beautifully crafted and oh-so-mellow collection of songs ranging from the standards to rock classics...."
The NZ Women's Weekly 7.6.07
"Moon has it all: warmth, expression and the ability to interpret songs with vision and clarity"
The Waikato Times 12.5.07
"..faultless, beautiful stuff"
Full review - The Weekend Sun, Tauranga 30.3.07
."If women jazz singers are your thing then there’s a myriad of great names to choose from these days such as Diana Krall, Sara Lazarus, Madeleine Peyroux.... Add Carolina Moon (aka Caroline Lynn) to that list."
Full review - The Wellingtonian 14/06/07
"The smoothest of rich, warm and desperately romantic jazz... seamlessly blending classics with contemporary numbers... Laid back, assured, beautiful.
KiaOra, Air New Zealand Magazine July 07
HIP FLASK REVIEWS
"There is often an interesting correlation between the physicality of a musician and their sound and style. Roger Manins is a burly New Zealander who makes a big, bold sound on a tenor saxophone, and who smears thick, bright paint on his musical canvases. John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald
"One gets the feeling there's a parallel between the bold Manins sound and the rationale behind this album. If you're being heard for the first time, make an impact. An ominous signal for the jazz world." MSN Bulletin
Full review
THE SHAMAN'S KISS REVIEWS
ABC Limelight Magazine, Australia 03/06/2003
The Age, Melbourne, Australia 04/2000
The Daily Telegraph, Sydney 23/7/2003
Jazz Action Society Newsletter, Sydney 11 /06/2003
Amplifier, New Zealand 06/2006
Graham Reid – www.elsewhere.co.nz April 07
Carolina Moon: East of the Sun
Even more New Zealand jazz. And different again.
Moon began her career in London more than a decade ago, moved to Australia (where as Caroline Lynn she won considerable media praise) and then came to New Zealand.
She is now married to saxophonist Roger Manins who appears here, along with pianist Kevin Field, guitarist-for-all-seasons Nigel Gavin, drummer Chris O'Connor, Oliver Holland on bass and accordionist Herschal.
Quite a crew of local talent.
Moon's style is a low, breathy, assured and beautifully articulated intimacy, and her song selection is interesting: rather than fall for an easy -- and easily marketable -- collection of standards she includes fine treatments of the Doors' Light My Fire (in which Gavin excels), adds her own lyrics to a piece by the late Jann Rutherford, drops in Bizet's Habanera, and goes all chanson-vibrato on Sous le Ciel.
Yes, she opens with the standard Call Me and later adds Ellington's Prelude to a Kiss and Billy Strayhorn's A Flower is a Lovesome Thing, but the latter two are hardly threadbare to most listeners . . . and she (and the musicians) pull them off with rare skill.
Moon has previously explored a world music/jazz fusion crossover and writes her own material, but here she sits back on a fine collection of songs which is warm, emotional and quite enchanting.
Yes, a very good year for local jazz.
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CD Baby 9/07
Carolina Moon – East of the Sun Review
Review by Dr. Mark A. Goral - CD BABY
"This is the BEST jazz ensemble release of 2007 !!!!
As a former jazz vocalist for seven years, I cannot begin to tell all of you how EXCEPTIONAL this recording is. There is not enough to brag about with this project. Caroline Lynn's vocals are so untouchably raw and pure and her voice is one of the most suave to yet hit the U.S. jazz scene. The musicians on this specific work are beyond compare! Kevin Field on piano, Nigel Gavin on guitar, Roger Manins on tenor sax, Olivier Holland on stand-up bass, Chris O'Connor on drums, and the prolific Herschal on accordion are some of the VERY BEST anyone could ever hope to hear. The variety, scope and breadth that this CD reveals could only come from the most rigorous work imaginable. For jazz purists, this CD is absolute heaven. For all others, promise me that you'll listen fully to each and every song and you will know in your heart what I mean. C'est magnifique !!!
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NZ Musician
June/July 07
CD review by Peter Dent
Caroline Lynn (aka Carolina Moon) is a talented, young British jazz vocalist who broke onto the UK scene in the early 90’s. She is at once contemporary and classic; a true artist in every sense of the word. ‘East of the Sun’ is her first NZ release, having married superb Kiwi saxophonist Roger Manins, whom she met in Australia. Other bandmates on the album include pianist Kevin Field, guitarist Nigel Gavin, bassist Olivier Holland, drummer Chris O’Connor, and the inimitable Herschal on accordion. The album is a classy mix of basso novas, ballads, swing tunes, and lovely, lilting, authentic French chanson. The playing is tasteful, understated, never getting in the way of her gorgeous voice; but at the same time, the leader lets her musicians take flight when appropriate, and carry wave after wave of sumptuous jazz. The album was produced and mastered by Steve Garden, recorded at The Lab by Olly Harman, and at Garden’s own studio. All tracks are notable for crystal-clear production which brings Moon’s vocals to the fore, while everything else is clearly audible, from the lightest tinkle of Field’s piano keys to the shimmer of O’Connor’s cymbals and chimes. If you appreciate a charming, well-balanced jazz album ‘East of the Sun’ is for you.
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Carolina Moon – East of the Sun Review
Steve Scott,
Waikato Times
Sat 12 May 2007
British singer Caroline Lynn (Carolina Moon) debuted on the London jazz scene in the early ‘90’s before moving to Australia where she met husband to be, New Zealand saxophonist Roger Manins. East of the Sun is the couple’s recording debut, featuring a host of first-class local musicans including multi-talented guitarist Nigel Gavin, formidable double bassist Olivier Holland, pianist Kevin Field and drummer Chris O’Connor.
Settling in immediately on a persuasive cover of Tony Hatch’s Call Me, the combination of talent is quickly evident. Manins’ saxophone emits smooth, sharp lines of sound beautifully elongating the melody and with Moon the expert of expression and feel, her warm vocal is the priceless ingredient. Following Gavin’s inspiring guitar work on Close Your Eyes, Moon gives an early indication of her smooth and sumptuous approach on Coco, a lengthy composition by the late New Zealand pianist Jann Rutherford. Local pianist Kevin Field enhances the piece with a most virtuoso performance. Following her jazz scat which reveals clever shadow-play between sax and vocal, Moon covers The Doors’ classic Light My Fire. From the sexy French chanson approach to Sous le Ciel, the studied take on Leonard Bernstein’s Some Other Time and the refreshing re-working of Bizet’s Habanera, Moon has it all: warmth, expression and the ability to interpret songs with vision and clarity.
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East of the Sun
The Weekend Sun, Tauranga NZ 30.3.07
by Winston Watusi
Singer Caroline Lynn also goes under the moniker Carolina Moon, and that’s the name on her debut CD East Of The Sun, a smooth and smoochy collection of laid-back jazz songs that smartly depart from regularly-heard fare.
Assembling a band of Auckland’s finest, Caroline shares the spotlight throughout with husband and superb saxophonist Roger Manins, while Kevin Field provides his usual sensitive piano accompaniment. His work on the lovely original ballad “Coco” is particularly subtle, working beautifully with drummer Chris O’Connor to create a feel so delicate that you almost hold your breath listening to it.
Guitar virtuoso Nigel Gavin also restrains his natural exuberance to create understated accompaniment. After the album’s relatively bright opener, Tony Hatch’s Latin-inflected “Call Me”, he and O’Connor construct a spare modern feel – hinting almost invisibly at a touch of flamenco – on “Close Your Eyes”. In fact, the rhythm section of O’Connor and upright bass player Olivier Holland deserve special mention for creating some really interesting feels, at once both sparse and dynamic, and distinctly different from a lot of “standard” jazz backing.
As the album progresses it slides into different territory and takes a trip to France, adding Herschal (Jews Brothers, French Toast) on accordion. Spirited chanson “Sous Le Ciel” is complemented by Bizet’s “Habanera”, before the closer “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing” which finds Lynn accompanied only by the accordion.
Also worth a mention is a loungey take on the Doors’ “Light My Fire” and “Scat”, which sees Caroline stretching out and dazzling with her vocal technique as she and Roger Manins shimmy through long complicated unison scatting passages. Like her singing throughout it is faultless, beautiful stuff.
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The Wellingtonian, June 14 2007
Carolina Moon, East of the Sun Review by Rob Olsen
If women jazz singers are your thing then there’s a myriad of great names to choose from these days such as Diana Krall, Sara Lazarus, Madeleine Peyroux, Lisa Ekdahl or, closer to home, Alda Rezende. Add Carolina Moon (aka Caroline Lynn) to that list.
The former UK resident, now New Zealand-based singer has released her first album in this country in conjunction with partner and saxophonist Roger Manins, ably backed by four other musicians.
It’s a good effort and a certain pleasure for anyone with a liking for jazz singers such as those mentioned above, East of the Sun is a collection of classic, contemporary, French, Bossa Nova ballads. In fact there’s something there for every taste, even Doors’ fans, with a version of Light My Fire.
From first listen I knew that Moon and band were up there with the best of them and it’s a CD that has a sound for every occasion be it relaxing, dining, loving or dancing. Scat is an upbeat number with great piano from Kevin Field, The Peacocks at 7 minutes, 40 seconds long is lingering and intoxicating, Sous le Ciel gives that traditional French flavour and the guitar (Nigel Gavin) and sax on Close Your Eyes is exquisite.
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THE SHAMAN'S KISS REVIEWS
ABC Limelight Magazine - Caroline Lynn, The Shaman's Kiss CD, Newmarket (NEW 3113.2)
- by John Shand .
This album oozes the tingling excitement of a new love affair, or a holiday where each day is charged with new sights and adventures. Track by track Caroline Lynn unveils a fresh perspective on her broad musical world, which like so much of the best contemporary music blends jazz and folk influences. She opens with the exotic scales and textures of the traditional Spanish Nana, her voice rising and falling hypnotically, calling up the exquisite sound and dramatic contours of Rick Robertson’s soprano saxophone. This instrument returns on Walk Soft to ride on the expansive bass of Steve Elphick, before Lynn duets with the tabla of Tony Lewis. A highlight of her live shows has been the Celtic inflected The Moor Sighs, here cleverly produced to capture its unsettling, theatrical quality, a context ideal for Robertson’s storming tenor. Lynn has set her own lyrics to Mike Nock’s tender Kiss, which Matt McMahon embellishes with a lovely piano solo. The metaphoric Dance of the Silverfish flashes with more soprano and Lewis’s hand-drumming, while Lynn shows what an effective improviser she can be, and there is a charming reading of Ralph Towner’s timeless Icarus. Fans of Towner, Azimuth and Jan Garbarek should find much to enjoy.
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The Age, 04/2000 'The Shaman’s Kiss' CD
“This expansive tapestry of jazz, world music, tabla beats, Gaelic dance, displaced rhythms and free-flowing evocative lines from the Sydney vocalist is way outside conventional jazz boundaries – wherever these might be – but jazz threads hold things together. Behind the understated quality in this blend of originals, Spanish song and pieces from Mike Nock and Ralph Towner, there is a riot of improvisation where the familiar is torn down and refashioned into new and unexpected shapes.
Her piece Walk Soft morphs into different configurations; her voice pure as moonlight, turning percussive across a steady pulse before it returns to melody. On Dance of the Silverfish, wordless vocals double with Rick Robertson’s sax before melting into a spoken incantation over sensual rhythm. The best parts come here from tensions between seemingly simple melodic conceptions and complex rhythms. And from Steve Elphick’s and Hugh Frazer’s work on acoustic bass, Tony Lewis and Blair Greenberg on tabla and percussion, with Chris Cody and Matt McMahon sharing the honours on piano.
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The Daily Telegraph - The Shaman’s Kiss CD Launch
- by Barry Morris
Caroline Lynn hasn’t exactly chosen the easy path in her singing career or for her debut CD, The Shaman’s Kiss. She’s a singer interested in a variety of musical traditions: jazz, sacred folk, medieval and improvised music. Last year she even travelled to India to study their vocal techniques and has performed in London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Her music is haunting but also exciting, pulsating and even downright threatening, as in one of her songs The Moor Sighs, which uses Gaelic incantations to invoke witch-hunts in the Middle Ages. She’s also used a traditional Spanish song and pieces by American Ralph Towner and local Mike Nock. The fusion of world influences – tabla, drone, jazz and exotic grooves – means Caroline only works with the best in this field including Mat McMahon (piano), Rick Robertson (soprano sax), Steve Elphick (double bass), Dave Goodman (drums) and Fabian Hevia (percussion).
Caroline is a remarkable singer who is breaking new ground. Here’s a chance to hear her and her cohorts make a little history.
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John Swords - Jazz Action Society Newsletter - 11 /06/2003
'The Shaman's Kiss' - Caroline Lynn Newmarket Music (NEW3113.2)
With Rick Robertson (soprano/tenor sax), Mat McMahon/Chris Cody (piano), Steve Elphick/Hugh Frazer (bass), Tony Lewis/Blair Greenberg (tabla, percussion), John Bartram (drums).
In her first CD under her own name, Caroline Lynn pushes boldly into worlds beyond the familiar framework of jazz. With the help of gifted fellow-travellers, she takes us on a journey from the yearning intensity of medieval Spanish tradition in Nana and the wild cauldron of witch-hunts in The Moor Sighs to dream-like worlds of uncluttered, almost unstructured freedom on The Dispossessed.
The principal medium for our journey is the Lynn voice, which can take on rich instrumental qualities, simple elegance and occasionally aggression and abandon. The message is the sometimes exotic, sometimes restrained, but always insistent rhythms provided by drummer John Bartram, with percussionists Tony Lewis or Blair Greenberg on different tracks and the bass of Hugh Frazer or Steve Elphick. Pianists Mat McMahon and Chris Cody enrich the spaces, and throughout, the reed work of Rick Robertson complements Lynn's voice like a sympathetic ear to a troubled soul. Lynn won't mind me saying she's been around for a while now. Unlike many with debut recordings, she has passed the learning phase and presents a rich, mature voice of range and technical quality without which this material would be difficult, if not impossible, to address. For all her experience - which includes working in London, China and India _ the surprise is that it has taken so long for her to make this CD. Her only other major contribution has been the vocals on Double T's Ad Infinitum with cellist Anatoli Torjinski and guitarist Yuri Terletski. She is well known for her regular performances around Sydney, most notably and recently with Mark Isaacs.
Most of the songs are her own; the others include compositions by Ralph Towner and Mike Nock, as well as a traditional piece. The moods shift from the serenity of such tracks as Towner's Beneath An Evening Sky to my favourite, the primitively exciting The Moor Sighs, which includes Gaelic incantation and has an altogether medieval feel, inspired by witches, primal fears, dark possession and womanly power. Kiss, a Nock piece to which she has added lyrics, is perhaps the song with which the jazz audience will most readily identify, a ballad to bitter-sweet love. In her own Dance Of The Silverfish, McMahon and Lewis construct a dialogue upon which the percussion of Bartram and Lewis build an exciting groove to provide the CD's liveliest moments. The CD was launched late last year at the Melbourne Women's Jazz Festival, where it made a strong impression, going of the reviews. The home-town launch will be at The Side-On Cafe on July 25. And about time, too. We've waited long enough for this, Caroline. When is the encore?
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