Before we get into the incredible, internationally cooperative, peacemaking manner in which veteran vocalist Alexis Cole has chosen to celebrate her 25th anniversary as a recording artist, a few colorful fun facts are in order. She’s perhaps the only jazz singer in history to teach a future genre legend (multiple Grammy winner Samara Joy, at SUNY Purchase) and enlist in the Army (as a vocalist with West Point’s big band from 2009-15).
Jazz Republic, her joint production with the Taipei Jazz Orchestra is an impactful work on many levels, both musically and geopolitically. A listener unaware of the project’s unique cross-cultural background and dynamics could simply enjoy the deeply intimate yet always hoppin’ collection on its artistic merits - dynamic, brassy swing arrangements, eclectic song selections from the realms of contemporary pop (“Uptown Girl”), Songbook (“Begin the Beguine,” “Here’s That Rainy Day”), Broadway (“I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”) and Brazilian music (“Corcovado”) and Cole’s trademark exquisite phrasing and rangy, intimate to soaring vocals and freewheeling scats.
But the reality is, in a world that is full of so much strife, Jazz Republic stands as a testament to the enduring connection between two countries that were historically in conflict but are now the strongest of allies. Cole’s big band triumph is the result of decades of cultural diplomacy. Under the direction of world class saxophonist Cheng-yu Jimmy Lee, the TJO has a rep of artistic excellence not only in Taiwan but among international jazz fans.
Though certainly listeners will want to tune in first to those aforementioned classics to see how Cole and the band spin them with their brand of dual magic, a few tracks are on point thematically – most notably the Ivan Lins co-written opener “Common Ground” (a clever, passionate ode to music’s keen, enduring ability to bridge human differences) and “Beyond the Sea,” a super-familiar, beautifully sung gem whose lyrics take on a new meaning within the context of this album. More than simply a wonderful swing-oriented jazz extravaganza, Jazz Republic is a meticulously conceived, wonderfully performed set designed to get us thinking about the possibilities of a peaceful world where music is our common language.
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