Review: Sweet Lu Olutosin | Sweet Lu’s Blues

When pursuing dreams that extend far beyond the horizon of sight, the journey demands unwavering faith. This not only applies to the visionary but to the listener as well. So on a beautiful sunny afternoon I put my ear buds in and settled down with Sweet Lu’s Blues for what I anticipated would be a wonderful adventure in sound and color. From the very first note of Malcolm’s Song I was transported to a “Gay Paris!” street scene with dancers in colorful attire moving provocatively to Sweet Lu’s words.

Then ever so gently he slips into the romance of falling in love every day with the same woman, deftly followed by the promise of the bittersweet side of love in the blues when a man falls hard. Scatting through Call Him Blackjack he easily moves us to drift into the simple pleasures life has to offer to the adventurous. Turning his attention to the Sinatra classic he slows down to interpret Nancy With The Laughing Face and closing the project with the up-tempo of The Baron, a Latin beat under Be My Mamacita and the title track that had me bopping my head and tapping my foot.

I would do grave dishonor if I failed to give praise for the fine aggregation of musicians that comprise the Antonio Ciacca Quintet. Never the understatement, these voices will become familiar compliments to your ear as they place their signature on this project. The arrangements are fun, exciting and surprising with each track and as the title tune came to a close I unabashedly shouted “Applause, Applause!” to Lutalo Olutosin for a vision that unquestionably hit the sweet spot on the mark.

carl anthony | notorious jazz | november 15, 2014

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