Based upon the poetry of Jalal-ud Din Rumi and Colette Aboulker-Muscat, pianist/vocalist Liz Gorrill has scripted an alluring florid companion that evokes the poignancy of prose as she keenly balances silence with italicized statements. As a pianist, she delivers flickering impressionistic lines that suggest a deep compassion for European classical music and free jazz. But there’s a clarity in playing that keeps it from tipping over to brainy self-indulgence or emotive nonsense. Her plaintive vocals works magic in this context as she transforms worn-classics like Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is the Ocean” a meditative prayer. For the Beauty of the Earth is not the easiest of listenings, but it rewards with every return.
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