Noa Fort, No World Between Us. Self-released, CD $15, available at https://noafort.bandcamp.com/album/no-world-between-us
I've been really hard on contemporary jazz singers lately. Most of them are extremely talented, but I always feel like I need a little more from them. If they're going to raid the Great American Songbook, they should come up with a unique approach that sets them apart from the crowd. If they're going to focus on original songs, those songs should be special and personal and sound like the lyrics have meaning to the singer. Lately I've heard so many off-putting lines uttered by otherwise lovely singers, the kind of mawkish phrases that sound more like a parody than actual jazz. Go listen to Billie Holiday sing "Strange Fruit," I want to tell them, and then get back to me with something that lets me know who you really are.
Conversely, there are plenty of jazz singers who are getting it right these days—Lyn Stanley and her sublime blending of jazz and classical music, Anne Bisson's extraordinary devotion to the music that accompanies her and Lynn Veronneau's willingness to stray from jazz traditions and come up with something that sounds like no one else. They've tapped into something that stimulates the intellect, something jazz is supposed to do.
Then there's Noa Fort. Her new album, No World Between Us, certain ticks all of the boxes for me. She's operating within the parameters of contemporary jazz by sticking with a simple trio with drummer Ronen Itzik and bassist Zack Lober backing her soft and sweet piano style. (Josh Deutsch joins the ensemble with his trumpet and adds another layer of texture for the last three tracks.) Her voice is lovely and yet honest; she sounds like a real live human being instead of a mere studio creation. You can hear her breathe and think and feel all at once, something that's largely absent from singers who confuse those jazz traditions with cabaret and just want to put on a show in front of strangers.
Most importantly, the ten songs on No World Between Us are all originals written by Fort. In my head I sound like Annette Bening in American Beauty when I praise this—"Honey, I'm so proud of you! I watched you very closely, and you didn't screw up once!"—but the Israeli-born Fort knows how to write lyrics that match her singing style, words that didn't make me wince once! (I'm encountering this often during my reviewing chores, silly words that make me ask why the singer even bothered.) She's not channeling Dylan, mind you, but she is singing from her heart and she is telling you something about herself and what she's been through. In the title track she sings: "Lose your arms and hold me/swallow your tongue and kiss me now/there is no world between us." It's a simple idea, but one we've all experienced from time to time—just stop arguing and hold me and everything will be okay. This reminds me of why I love Angel Olsen's My Woman so much. There's a song called "Shut Up Kiss Me Hold Me Tight," and that's an incredibly beautiful thing to say to someone you love.
This theme pops up throughout the album. In the closing track, "Just Wait," Fort softly complains that her partner's default setting is to fight. That, in turn, reminds me of another singer I adore, Janelle Monae. In her song "Locked Inside," she laments being trapped in "a world of foolish pride," where men "hate to talk but love to fight…is that all right?" My first reaction to Fort's constant conciliatory tone is that she's been through a lot of struggles in her relationships, and she's learned that love always conquers all—especially when it comes to fights that can and should be avoided. That's an oversimplification, of course, and there's more subtlety to her songs than this, but then I had an interesting thought. What if Fort is using interpersonal relationships as a specific context for a greater meaning? As I heard these words floating into my listening room, I was simultaneously reading an article that discussed how easily people are fighting about politics these days, and how we are casting away old friends based upon who they voted for in the last election.
Fort may not have intended this when she wrote these songs, but think about the title of the album and how it emphasizes world. Is that on purpose? I can't second guess the songwriter, but perhaps that's why these songs click at this moment in history. Come together, right now, over me.
Fort and her band have been playing these songs in New York City clubs for a while, but they went into the studio for just two days to capture that live feel. She performs all ten songs with no overdubs, which is why she sounds so present and connected to the listener. Lober's bass is full and gentle, and Itzik is light and fast without stepping on toes—which is important since Fort's piano is as tranquil as her voice.
It's a genuine pleasure to find a new contemporary jazz singer who is so quietly disarming with her musical counsel. The next time you feel angry at the world, or even just one person, take a listen to No World Between Us and let it straighten you out.
