Paul Kahn Releases A Set Of Songs A Long Time In The Making
Paul Kahn and vocalist/producer Catherine Russell recently teamed up to record a set of songs Paul had originally recorded as demos years earlier. This is a set of originals absolutely delivering a particular kind of warmth, but also a bit of a vivacious approach.
The record is absolutely lush, with some gorgeous instrumentation, deep-pocketed rhythms, and a flow that's completely natural.
A lot of the release blends elements of jazz with adult contemporary and soul, along with hints of folk and singer-songwriter along the way. The whole project is laced with these different influences and styles, but it all comes together to give something that has personality.
Catherine is a pretty iconic and experienced vocalist who has already released solo albums on top of appearing on over 200 other records and has recorded and toured with the likes of Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, and even David Bowie, among many others.
When she found out about Paul's originals and heard them, she immediately wanted to make sure that they could re-record them together.
Catherine's production approach to the record gives it an extra breath of life. It's refreshing, genuine, honest, and helps paint a little bit of a picture of a certain part of Paul's life and persona.
The record is called "Willingness," and it opens up with "Stain On My Sleeve," which features all kinds of amazing wind instruments, a breezy sort of rhythm and aesthetic, giving it a bit of an island vibe, and really incredible percussion, horn sections, and more.
The feel of it is almost fully orchestrated. Paul comes in with a very inviting vocal that helps bring a fresh tone to the already boisterous palette of sounds that you hear.
One of the reasons I really enjoyed this is the simple fact that you can tell it's like opening the book. It's like the first chapter of the bunch, giving you a little insight into who Paul is and how some of the rest of the record might feel.
I love that it takes elements of reggae and jazz, puts them together, and just gives you this wondrous and very big sound.
It does all this while still giving off a bit of a smooth and relaxed energy without also letting the song feel very good.
"Memory Lane" most certainly digs a little deeper into some of Paul's experiences as he gets really descriptive with those lyrics. He's amazing at being detailed enough so that you can picture things while you listen to the song itself.
This helps put you in the moment while you are listening to it, and it's a refreshing factor.
This one's got some great backing vocals that have an almost gospel-like appeal, along with a bit of a heavier hand in terms of the jazz side of things.
It is still very contemporary-feeling, but you can really sense that jazz influence coming to the surface on this one a bit more.
The title track, "Willingness," sends a wonderful message, and again, he does dig pretty deep lyrically, but it's very connective and makes a lot of sense. I feel like this is one of the most relatable songs on the record, and again, you hear some amazing instrumentation being performed here. These songs come out with a particular kind of flavor.
They are memorable and give you a lot to take in at times.
While this is happening, everything is arranged with a subtle hand. There's a lot of thought going into how the songs would pan out, open up, and end. The arrangement is really a strong suit in terms of how these songs were written.
This track in particular is one that hit me pretty hard, simply because there's a lot of strings going on. It feels and sounds like violins or fiddles giving you these layers of melody, and this really builds a little bit of extra emotion behind it, which I find most enjoyable because it's those moments, although they're instrumental, that remind you of what the song is about. They remind you of the emotion behind the sentiment of the song itself.
This was one of the warmest songs on the record, and it's at this point that you start to recognize how much incredible instrumentation is coming into play throughout this whole release.
We have fiddle, Hammond, flutes, guitars, live percussion, backup vocals, even mandolin, and more, just laced and peppered throughout the record, giving it that extra liveliness, juiciness, and element of elegance.
I think one of my favorites is the closing track, "No One To Cry To," which has such a cool upright walking bass line, which really thickens up the tone, brings back that more classic side of jazz inspiration, and the vocals are so harmonious that you just kind of get wrapped up in everything.
Paul really put something special together with Catherine, and I agree with her 100% when it comes to Paul finally releasing these into the world.
These are songs that needed to be heard. Everything was written and performed with a touch of heart, and that's something that you pick up on while you listen through the whole record.
The release spans six songs, and I would suggest you listen to the entire thing, all at once, in one sitting.
There is certainly a lot to enjoy about this record, but it's the aesthetic, mood, and vibes that it gives you that end up sticking with you long after it has ended.
So, stop reading and start listening. If you haven't yet, dive headfirst into Willingness, and you'll hear exactly where I'm coming from with everything.
Remember where you heard it first.
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