Tatiana Eva-Marie & Jeremy Corren
Two at the Most
(Turtle Bay Records)
June 1, 2023
Reviewed by Alix Cohen
New to me, Tatiana Eva-Maria has a gradient, airbrushed voice. Her delicate warble at the end of sustained notes exudes warmth and enhances the romantic material. “The End of a Love Affair” (Edward Redding) strolls beside Jeremy Corren’s supremely sensitive piano, here a flâneur. “Penthouse Serenade” (Will Jason/Val Burton) arrives as a sophisticated, insouciant shrug. Notes often skillfully arc. Corren’s piano embodies the understated grace of Astaire.
In the same vein, a heavy-lidded “Sophisticated Lady” conjures black and white archival photos of 1940s Harlem. A lit, perched cigarette balances at the lip of the bar beside a half empty martini glass. Marie’s vocal shimmers, and Corren’s piano wraps around the lyric like fur on her shoulders. “You Go to My Head” (J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie) evinces a subtle lilt, like flickering eyelashes. Octaves dip unexpectedly, adding sensuality. The song sighs with anticipation. The music spreads like a soft blanket.
“They’ll Never Believe Me” (Jerome Kern/Herbert Reynolds) and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” (Frederick Loewe/Alan Jay Lerner) are sung by guest vocalist Mark Buchan whose tender, cottony voice adheres to the tone of this dreamy CD. The latter song emerges timorous, shaken (by realization). The pianist’s touch is a marvel of nuanced emotion.
“The Nearness of You” (Hoagy Carmichael/Ned Washington) drifts down like lazy leaves, turning, folding, and landing weightless (but not without meaning). The piano is wistful, its musical head is tilted in reflection. “You Are Too Beautiful” (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart) is tinted with gratitude and surprise, the symbiotic piano enchants. The two performers make an exquisite pairing; there’s beautiful sound and beautiful feel. I’m going to listen to it again now.
