Alyssa Grahm at the Regattabar, Boston, Wednesday October 22, 2008

Singer/songwriter Alyssa Graham recently released Echo on Sunnyside Records. Produced by Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band pianist and composer Jon Cowherd, the album is Graham’s second as leader. It features Romero Lubambo on guitar, Jeff Haynes on percussion, Jon Cowherd on piano, French horn and organ, Doug Weiss on bass, Obed Calvaire on drums, Douglas Graham on guitar, Sachi Pattituci on cello, Lawrence Dutton on viola, Laura Seaton and Elizabeth Lim Dutton on violin, and Gregoire Maret on chromatic harmonica.

On Wednesday night the ensemble appeared as quintet with _ on bass, Dan Rieser on drums, Doug Graham on guitar, and Jon Cowherd on piano. The set featured songs from Echo including Jack Reardon’s “Involved Again,” originally written for Billie Holiday. Upon hearing Graham’s debut album, “What Love Is,” Reardon contacted the singer to see if she was interested in recording it. Cowherd’s arrangement gives the music an appropriate and timeless sentiment that effectively communicates the meaning of the lyrics. The song is about a woman who finds herself in love again after denouncing it. Because the themes of love and loss are central to Echo, this tune more than any other gives the clichéd subject matter a unique identity.

Using both guitar and piano can be highly effective or superfluous, depending on playing ability and composition. Throughout most of the set, guitarist Doug Graham was wise to allow more room for Cowherd’s seasoned piano playing and improvisation. Because the studio album features full arrangements with strings, there was a sense of bareness throughout the live performance. Even with Alyssa Graham’s impressive tonal quality and characteristically appropriate sense of sweetness, the music was lacking in texture.