Montreal-New York-Armenia. This is the musical triangle that unfolds on this album by Montreal singer Mira Choquette, who is also a civil lawyer. Proof that it’s possible to be a professional both in music and in a ‘prosaic’ profession (I’m also thinking of Suzanne Taffot, an exceptional classical soprano who is also… a lawyer). Choquette, a youthful voice with a beautiful suppleness and a pleasant azure colour, masters the standards revisited here (Monk, Legrand, Aznavour, Dameron, Dearie, etc.) with great style, conviction, ease and just enough personality to avoid the platitudes of millions of artists who make this kind of jazz. Her tonal precision is a testament to either natural talent or solid training (or both), as is her ability to sing convincingly in several languages (English, French, Spanish). Here is a singer who invites you to become attached to her and to follow her activities.
Although Armenia has nothing to do with the musical style visited, it remains fundamental in the sense that all the accompanying musicians are from that country: Samvel Gasparyan on piano,
Dave Geodakyan on double bass and Arman Mnatsakanyan on drums. The album was partly recorded in Armenia, with the finishing touches in New York, completing the aforementioned triangle in a highly conclusive sonic and artistic style.
A perfect after-hours album, with a little extra soul.
