Turning poems into songs is always a delicate balancing act: The words are meant to be complete already, and finding music that complements but doesn’t overwhelm them is difficult. For a textbook example of a near-perfect marriage of poetry and music, try Capathia Jenkins and Louis Rosen’s latest CD, One Ounce of Truth.

Nikki Giovanni’s poetry fairly sings on its own, so the addition of Louis Rosen’s music to her words might seem like gilding the lily. Happily, the words and music fit together beautifully, and as sung by Capathia Jenkins, the songs become a celebration of every facet of life. Rosen uses a wide range of musical styles to emphasize the many emotions in Giovanni’s words. Bossa nova, folk, jazz and a dash of soul all fit well with the sharply intelligent lyrics (no surprise to find that Giovanni is a professor at Virginia Tech). “The Telephone Song” is a fun study of friendship set to ‘60s pop, while “You Were Gone” is a bluesy expression of loss. “That Day,” a cheerful celebration of sex and sexuality, is matched with violin, trumpet, trombone and acoustic guitar to celebrate the many splendors of love.

As powerful a dramatist as she is a singer, Jenkins conveys each number’s emotion with great care, giving equal attention to the lyrics and the music. Her voice flows easily from gentle to fierce as needed for each song, once again proving her status as a composer’s best friend.

Jena Tesse Fox
Cabaret Scenes
July/August 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org