Bass and vocal duos are something of a rarity in the jazz world. But when done smartly — think of Sheila Jordan with Harvie S — they can be a real treat, a display of high-wire musicality with no safe place to land. Vocalist Sylvie Noble and bassist Ursula Harrison are more than up to the challenge, as the UK-based twosome proves on its debut album, New Eve. The pair met at a summer school, where both of their parents were teaching; Noble’s dad is pianist and composer Liam Noble, and Harrison’s mum is bassist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Paula Gardiner. Discovering mutual musical interests, Noble and Harrison later began working together on the South Wales jazz scene, honing their craft and developing the synergy evident throughout their inaugural duo release. On the album’s title track, Noble’s swift vocals and Harrison’s nervous pizzicato churn a dark and anxious mood. Lyrics of dissatisfaction with the status quo (“the new world, it takes and it takes”) are countered by hopes for regeneration (“cover me with new skin, new soul”) and ride an inexorable pulse that continues apace through a dexterous scat solo. Edgy, engaging and impressive, the performance provides a centerpiece to the nine original compositions that announce the arrival of a fresh voice in the jazz world.
