AS IS (AL & STACEY SCHULMAN)

CRAZY WORLD

Nite Nite the Elephant productions

Stacey Schulman, lead vocal; Al Schulman, guitars; Corcoran Holt, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums; Gil Goldstein, accordion; Mary Loftus & Blake Epsy, violin; David Yang & Dr. Shannon Merlino, viola; Branson Yeast & Ezgi Yargici, cello; Ryan Moys & Brendan Monohan, string session engineer; Kokayi, freestyle; Suno AI, vocal instrumental articulation; Dante Pope, background vocals.

From the introduction to “From This Moment On” I was taken completely by surprise.  Al and Stacey Schulman present a blend of traditional jazz with contemporary hip hop; sweet scat-singing, and Straight-ahead jazz, mixed together in a gumbo of genres.  Stacey Schulman starts this familiar song with background singers adding harmonic jazz melodies behind her vocals.  Al Schulman enters on jazz guitar. Then comes the bass of Corcoran Holt, steady and dominant, walking beneath the excitement of the production.  Suddenly, the groove changes from ‘swing’ to hip hop. Kokayi takes over with a vocal instrumental articulation that spits like jazzy rap. He’s freestyling on the lyrical content of this old jazz standard and pushing the song into contemporary relevance.

They follow this dynamic opening with their take on “Better Than Anything.” It’s playful, with lyrics that are wonderfully written and celebrate the feeling of being in love. The lyrics are printed in a lovely booklet that is part of this CD release. Stacey Schulman has added some lyrics of her own to update the original words.

This duo has been touring the world and releasing music long enough to make their mark and perfect their sound and style. Al Schulman is a master on the guitar, while Stacey is full of energy, bringing her bright smile and sparkling vocals to each song with enthusiasm.

Holt bows his bass to open a tune called “Children’s Games” that quickly merges into a song titled, “PrAllude.”  Stacey Schulman has composed this song during a day on a Puerto Rican beach, singing parts into her phone as ideas took root. AI helped her create the melody for her lyrics.

Getting back to pop and R&B roots, a splash of Barry White’s music opens the familiar Bacharach and David tune, “A House is Not a Home.”  She and partner, Al, create their own groove and arrangement, with the guitar strongly setting the tempo. Al Schulman’s guitar solo is warm and honey sweet.

They continue to grow their artistic maturity, covering songs like “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.”  They reimagine Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” making it an intimate experience, with a jazz waltz groove. Stacey briefly scats before the spotlight illuminates Al Schulman’s guitar solo.  The instrumental of “As Falls Westphal” dedicated to the Drexel University Westphal School of Media Arts & Design, where they recorded this album, lilts along with a Latin, Afro-Cuban feel. The drums of Jeff “Tain” Watts lock into the Holt groove and they create their own magic.

The title tune, “Crazy World” closes this artistic endeavor. It functions as both a warning and a reassurance, reminding us that we are stronger and better when we are together.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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