ANNIE BOOTH TRIO

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE: THE BEATLES SONGBOOK (LIVE)

Independent Label

Annie Booth, piano; Patrick McDevitt, acoustic & electric bass; Alejandro Castaño, drums.

Annie Booth is a pianist, composer, arranger, and educator based in Denver, Colorado.  She and her trio are celebrating The Beatles on her recent cd release.  It’s her seventh album release as a bandleader.  Booth has performed and arranged for her trio, for a sextet, and with big bands. She says, to her, the most important thing about music is being authentic.

“Being authentic in my music means pursuing the melodies that feel like a part of my story, whether that’s in composition or in improvisation. In jazz, we learn how to communicate and master our craft through imitation of the greats and our influences and eventually, we want to express what is unique to our perspective and personalities. That’s my aim, that my music feels and sounds 100% like me and no one else,” Annie told me.

The Annie Booth trio opens with “Mother Nature’s Son” by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was recorded by The Beatles on a 1968 double album titled, “The White Album.”  This folksy song was covered by John Denver in the 1970s and well received.  Booth shines the spotlight on Patrick McDevitt’s bass solo that introduces the pretty melody of this song.  She offers a contemporary jazz arrangement.  The pianist sets the groove during the intro on “Hey Bulldog” with Alejandro Castaño’s drums keeping a funky rhythm beneath her arrangement.  Towards the end of the song, Castaño is given free rein and splashes his drum technique all over the tune.  This is followed by the title tune, melodically beautiful, with Booth’s piano interpretation right on point and well-supported by McDevitt on the upright bass.  At the conclusion, a flurry of appreciative applause sparks the room.

Booth and her trio introduce us to familiar Beatle songs and others that are not so popular.  We all love “Something” and “Let It Be,” “Come Together,” as well as “She’s Leaving Home.” The trio does a samba arrangement on “Something” which is refreshing and up-tempo.  Castaño’s drums make me want to move, and he is wildly featured. Booth’s fingers skip happily over the notes, improvising and dancing at the same time.  She adds a bit of the blues to her show when arranging “Things We Said Today,” a 1964 Beatle song that I was unfamiliar with. It features special guest, Glenn Booth on electric bass.  Booth’s trio closes with “Here Comes the Sun” as a slow shuffle.  This is an easy-listening experience, where Annie Booth reminds us of what talented songwriters Lennon and McCartney were. Booth’s album will be available August 30, 2024, in tribute to The Beatles.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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