Album: An Evening with Gypsy Soul Live at the Triple Door / DVD Recorded Live in Seattle WA
The DVD An Evening with Gypsy Soul Live at The Triple Door recorded in Seattle Washington, on May 23rd, 2009, offers music fans the opportunity to see guitar virtuoso Roman Morkykit and his lovely wife, singer Cilette Swan up close, for those who are often unable to get front row seats in venues across the Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona and Utah, because their concerts regularly sell out. The duo who always provide a nice blend of original material and some cover tunes were backed on this evening by cellist Traci Hoveskeland, whom this reviewer has had the opportunity to listen to in concert and she is always a treat to behold. Scott Burnett doubled on acoustic guitar and bass, while drummer T.J. Morris also provided percussion and vocal support. Morykit plays acoustic guitar, dobro, fretless bass and backs up on vocals. My good friend Will Kane was in the sound booth and he is one of the many reasons why I continue to champion The Triple Door as one of the best mid-size music venues in North America.
I have known Cilette Swan and Roman Morykit for a few years now, so I figured that I knew at least some of the interesting stories by now, however, the third song of their concert brings a humorous introduction as Swann talks about “Loving Me,” which she penned several years ago, about her ex-husband, who unexpectedly showed up in the audience at one of Gypsy Soul’s gigs. She refers to it as a feminist song with a small “f.” “Loving Me,” is introduced by Morykit’s blues shuffle on the acoustic and at the midpoint in the song, you will find that you are joining the audience in vocally expressing your appreciation for this fine display of guitar playing. Move over Eric Bibb and share the spotlight! For her part Swan gets a little bit of a growl in her vocals and demonstrates a side of her voice that we do not often hear, as her voice tends to be more ethereal and on other tunes such as Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” more funky. The bass was subtle and T.J. Morris had a feather touch on the cymbals, as he used only his brushes.
Cilette’s Swan’s vocal prowess is showcased on the Lennon / McCartney tune “Blackbird,” as her voice is tender and ethereal and she hits the higher soprano notes effortlessly.
One of the more beautiful songs which Gypsy Soul performed on this evening, and one that always leaves the listener breathless and in awe is “You’re Beautiful To Me,” another of their original pieces. This is a song with a gentle demeanor and the camera takes turns providing tasteful close-ups of Swann, Morykit and cellist Hoveskeland. One of the things that make this song, and many of the gentler songs work so well, is the chemistry between Cilette Swan and Roman Morykit on stage. His gentle accompaniment dances with her vocals, as though they are enjoying an elegant waltz together.
On “Don’t Be Wronged,” a song that meets at the junction of blues and soul, Morykit turns in his acoustic guitar for his U.S. Masters EP45 fretless bass guitar and the duo are really cooking, as Scott Burnett plays acoustic guitar and the song ends with some light cymbals.
After hearing Gypsy Soul perform Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious,” at The Triple Door in 2008, I kept waiting for the point in the DVD to arrive where I would once again have the opportunity to enjoy how funky they get with this classic tune and I was not disappointed. Swann is marvelous as she mixes grit and funk, while retaining her vocal range and Morkykit plays his dobro with a finger slide and utilizes a fretboard capo, while the cellist and bass player take a break, and T.J. Morris plays a calabash with brushes.
As the second set opens, Cilette Swan has traded in her long printed dress for a long shawl and blue jeans and she looks radiant, with her curly mid-back black hair sashaying from side to side as she sings. Whereas Roman Morykit was seated throughout most of the first set, he now is standing just a few feet away from her gently playing his acoustic guitar, as they move into “One More Day,” a song that poses the question; if you knew this was the last day of your life, how would you live it? The instrumental bridge, once again gives opportunity for Traci Hoveskeland’s cello to shine.
The words Americana, Celtic Fusion, Celtic Rock, Folk, Rock and many other labels have been applied to the music of Gypsy Soul, but the one that I like the best and that I think most accurately describes their music is “magnificent.”
While Morykit once again plays the fretless bass, Swann sings the Gershwin / Heyward classic “Summertime,” and she holds onto her notes for what seems to be an unbelievably long time. One of the aspects of Swann’s vocals which make these songs pure magic is her sensitive phrasing and as the song comes to an end she acknowledges Morykit’s performance, which prompts a rousing show of appreciation from their audience.
As is often the case, with DVDs there are some bonuses and this one has plenty of goodies including taking you behind the scenes to see how this DVD was made. Like me you have probably watched a lot of these behind the scenes things, that really just end up being another highly polished and produced mini video, but in this case, the viewer is really treated to something quite raw, as become party to the little things that could have went wrong, the things that went right and you gain insights into the personal lives of Roman and Cilette. Anyone who is a fan of Gypsy Soul is going to absolutely love this portion of the DVD, even if you are well acquainted with their music and know a lot of these things already. I can just hear the ladies sighing and saying, “Isn’t that sweet,” or the guys saying, “Will you look at that recording studio.” For those of you not familiar with Seattle’s The Triple Door, the behind the scenes look gives you a really good idea of what this venue is all about from both a dinner club perspective and the technical expertise that contributes to each production.
The All That Remains music video is also on the DVD, with behind the scenes footage as well.
You can order An Evening with Gypsy Soul Live At The Triple Door from the Gypsy Soul website www.gypsysoul.com
Reviewed February 2010
Click here for printer friendly version
