LaVon Hardison
There Will Be Trouble
Self-released
LaVon Hardison doesn’t just sing standards, she probes them, breathing new life into their time-worn shells. On her latest release There Will be Trouble, Hardison draws her source material from the deep well of music’s history, re-imagining songs from Duke Ellington to Katy Perry.
On the opening track, Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart’s “My Funny Valentine,” Hardison displays her knack for re-arranging. A song made famous for its slow, wistful mood by Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra, Hardison flips the script, giving the tune a funky groove. Jeff Busch’s drums and Eric Verlinde’s piano set the opening energy with Jerome Smith delivering a dance-worthy tuba solo mid-song.
Steeped in the Baptist church of her youth, Hardison’s vocals are soulful, bold, and unabashed, gliding easily between sultry and playful. She serves her “Frim Fram Sauce” (Nat King Cole) with a side of relish, clearly savoring every line. “Mood Indigo” (Ellington) is Hardison at her most restrained and eloquent, with Hans Teuber’s clarinet offering an emotional counterpoint. Also featured on the album are Dean Schmidt (bass), David Deacon-Joyner (piano on “Heat Wave”), and Osama Afifi (bass on “Heat Wave”).
Throughout There Will be Trouble, Hardison’s warm, blues-tinged vocals bounce off the light and bright plunking of Verlinde’s keys. “Firework” (Perry) is an ascending conversation of hope between the two with the keys having the last sparkling word.
The title track takes its name from a line in The Clash song “Should I Stay or Should I go.” Hardison transforms the song, giving it a solid jazz feel while staying true to its burning directness. On the concept of trouble, Hardison notes that in our current climate, there is no shortage. While it’s often an uncomfortable feeling, trouble can also mark a turning point for healing. There Will be Trouble succeeds at breaking down genre barriers to show the possibility of music as a vessel for transformation.
–Tara Peters
