Left Coast Life

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
While vocalist Kitty Margolis is often compared to jazz greats like Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald, a more apt and contemporary comparison would be to Cassandra Wilson. Not that the two singers have much in common stylistically--Margolis's vocal delivery is much more energetic than the sultry and laid-back Wilson--but the two share in common a willingness to broaden their palette beyond the traditional reaches of the jazz singer. While the San Francisco native brings inspired touches to jazz and cabaret standards such as Frank Loesser's "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" and Cy Coleman's "The Best Is Yet to Come," the more impressive moments come on tracks not normally found in a jazz singer's songbook, like an atmospheric reading of Pink Floyd's "Money" and a barreling version of Randy Newman's "Lonely at the Top" that wouldn't have sounded out of place in a Barbary Coast bordello. Such willingness to follow her own muse is what makes Left Coast Life, Margolis's fourth recording, such an enjoyable and refreshing jazz vocal album. --Ezra Gale

Tracks:

I Want To Be Happy
It's You
You Just Might Get It
Money
Lonely At The Top
Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year
Devil May Care
Without a Song
Heart's Desire
The Best Is Yet To Come
Take It With Me

Amazon.com

While vocalist Kitty Margolis is often compared to jazz greats like Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald, a more apt and contemporary comparison would be to Cassandra Wilson. Not that the two singers have much in common stylistically--Margolis's vocal delivery is much more energetic than the sultry and laid-back Wilson--but the two share in common a willingness to broaden their palette beyond the traditional reaches of the jazz singer. While the San Francisco native brings inspired touches to jazz and cabaret standards such as Frank Loesser's "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" and Cy Coleman's "The Best Is Yet to Come," the more impressive moments come on tracks not normally found in a jazz singer's songbook, like an atmospheric reading of Pink Floyd's "Money" and a barreling version of Randy Newman's "Lonely at the Top" that wouldn't have sounded out of place in a Barbary Coast bordello. Such willingness to follow her own muse is what makes Left Coast Life, Margolis's fourth recording, such an enjoyable and refreshing jazz vocal album. --Ezra Gale

Customer Reviews:

I can't say enough about this CD..........2003-12-13

"Left Coast Life" is one of the better jazz CD's to surface out of the Bay area within the last few years. Kitty Margolis's voice is absolutely wonderful, and the musicianship backing her is superb.

Margolis's choice of material, her excellent range and great jazz phrasing gives the listener a virtual cornucopia of directions to choose from. It's a great CD, from start to finish, full of vibrant and sometimes ambiant energy.

"The Best is Yet to Come" is one of the album's highlights, but it's "You Just Might Get It" that really stands apart from the rest. It has a distinctly retro feel to it, a thoughtful take on the money grab in metropolis.

Some jazz purists may freak a little over this CD, but that would have more to do with territorial boundaries and mutual admiration societies than anything else.

This is the real thing. Don't miss it...

Thank you!.......2002-04-07

With much jazz singing, particularly of the corporate variety, going in a distinctly retro and even cabaret direction, it's great to see Kitty Margolis keeping the spirit of innovation alive. This is a beautiful recording, full of surprises, humor and emotion.

It's a very different kind of jazz singing, not intended to be pleasant background music during cocktail hour. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy pleasant background music as much as the next person, but sometimes I want more out of jazz, and Kitty Margolis certainly delivers. Just listen to her on "You just might get it," her own tongue-in-cheek indictment of the excesses of the dotcom boom and bust in San Francisco and elsewhere. You can almost feel Les McCann and Eddie Harris smiling in the wings.

Her takes on "Money" and "Lonely at the top" are witty, sardonic, and sophisticated, and her ballads consistently devastating. Tom Waits' "Take it with me" is awesome, and "Spring will be a little late" is a jewel, with shimmering acoustic guitar and cello. Throughout, Kitty's voice moves with the greatest of ease from poignant to powerful, nasty to sweet, innocent to world weary and amazingly she sounds totally authentic on every tune. She sings what she means, and it comes through on every song. She really is an amazing talent.

I couldn't recommend this more--it's a complete breath of fresh air in a genre that could certainly use it.

A rare pleasure.......2002-01-22

It's not often that I have the pleasure of hearing a recording like this, these days. Kitty Margolis has given us a rare treat with Left Coast Life. It is innovative, moving, fun, and in many ways, a really unique performance.

The level of musicianship is excellent throughout, and the production is superb. The choice of songs is provocative and intelligent. It ranges from the deeply touching ballads Spring Will be a Little Late and Take it With Me to the biting, thoughtful social criticism of Money, Lonely at the Top, and the brilliant original song You Just Might Get It.

Kitty Margolis is undoubtedly in top form here, and hearing her sing is one of the great pleasures in jazz today. She elegantly walks that tightrope between being able to entertain and at the same time give us music that not only bears repeated listenings, but also stands out as an example on the many directions not only vocal jazz, but jazz in general can go in.

Her music is infused with elements of Latin, Funk, Pop, and World music, but Kitty Margolis is an artst with deep jazz roots, and the improvisational qualities, and the harmonic and rhythmic complexity that lie at the heart of jazz are never lost. You never get the feeling that she's experimenting for the sake of it, or trying to cross over. Every song has integrity and coherence, and throughout you can hear how every arrangement supports a heartfelt interpretation of the song.

Kitty's singing throughout is exceptional. She is one of the few singers today who can really put across joie de vivre in jazz singing, of the kind you could feel in Ella Fitzgerald, someone who could make you feel happy becuase you could feel how much singing made her happy. On this recording you can really hear how singing makes Kitty happy, and she makes us happy in the process.

Her voice glides effortlessly across fast tempos, digging in beautifully and showing roots in bop that few singers today can claim. At the same time, her ballad singing is better than ever. Unpretentious, unmannered, it just comes from the heart, and I'm not surprised one reviewer cries every time on hearing Spring Will be a Little Late. This is jazz singing--or any kind of singing--at its best. This is the reason I listen to music, because of the way a recording like this can make me feel.

A tour de force! Totally fresh........2001-11-26

I have been hearing "Money" and "I Want to Be Happy" a lot on WBGO, New York's jazz station, was psyched that Ms. Margolis has a new CD out. Ordered it immediately. I have a couple of her other CDs (which I love) but this one, to me is the BEST yet.

Margolis' voice & sound have gotten even richer and more expressive, and her arranging style and song choice are ultra fresh. Plenty of humor and sweetness to balance her relentless rhytmic drive and adventurous harmonic sense. And the ballads...well, no wonder there is global warming.

Admittedly I am more of an instrumental jazz fan, but Ms. Margolis' musicianship and imagination put her in the league with the best players out there regardless of their ax. She must be a blast to play with. This CD is compelling from beginning to end. Highest reccomendation. Can't wait until she plays in the NYC again.

A tour de force! Totally fresh........2001-11-26

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