"We’d like the listener to have some kind of transformational experience through the music. Mary was a joyous person, but she experienced some pretty dra- matic tragedies in her life, too. Her life informed our music. Some of the music is dark and textural, some of it is warm and beautiful.” Claire Daly, Downbeat Magazine, May 2011
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What people are saying...
Brent Black/ digitaljazznews.blogspot
"Straight ahead but accessibly eclectic.
The "Human Beat Box" of Napoleon actually adds flavor and depth at times giving the listener a Dave Matthews meets Gerry Mulligan vibe that works surprisingly well! Much in the same vain of Mary Joyce's Alaskan oddessy, Daly mixes things up with some incredible swing, touching ballads and a little World Saxophone Quartet sound tossed in for good measure but it all flows and comes together perfectly."
While baritone saxophone is her weapon of choice, I found her flute playing as good as any I have heard.
Claire Daly and the Claire Daly Quintet can play - period. An entertaining and oddly inspirational work that I am proud to enthusiastically review and support! A hidden gem!
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Camden Blues, Toronto
...The slower tracks, such as “Lonely Wilderness”, evoke visions of staring up at the star filled night sky, on a cold Alaska night, no city lights blaring, brutally low temperatures, no other human beings for miles. On “Kluane” Claire’s horn vividly replicates the sound of a far north moose, yet not in a comedic way, and as a result, swings brilliantly. “Complicated Love”, my favorite track on the album, could have easily come from the song book of Dexter Gordon or Coleman Hawkins, yet is a uniquely Claire Daly composition.
Speaking of composition, one should not mention this album without mentioning the contributions of pianist Steve Hudson. Some might say he is Claire’s musical soul-mate, and contributed as much to the writing of this dramatic and emotional set of tunes as she did. His playing is subtle, swings hard when it needs to, and all the while seamlessly dancing through, and around the melodies and riffs from Claire’s horns.
A very interesting and unique addition to this studio lineup, was that of the “human beatbox” Napoleon Maddox. There are many deep musical moments where were you not listening attentively you might not notice Napoleon’s grooves melding seamlessly with the rest of the band, indispensable from the groove. Mary Anne McSweeney’s jovial bass has a few very interesting and groovy jams with just her four strings and the beatboxing. An excellent addition to this disc, they, along with Peter Grant on the drums, bring Claire and Steve’s ideas, melodies, and ultimate goals of their concept to life.
I listen to very few new artists these days. But this disc is a rare and sparkling gem, shining a light on the past, present and future of Jazz. I hightly recommend this album for any mild to serious jazz fans, as I’m sure it will go down as one of the best albums of 2011.
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Chris Spector, Midwest Record 5/31/11
DALY BREAD
CLAIRE DALY QUINTET/Mary Joyce Project-Nothing to Lose: A very personal project to Daly, the ins and out of the inspiration for this record will be lost on the listener who doesn't know anything about a Daly relative that broke all the rules in the 30s. The inspiration shines clear. A free spirited recording, this is first class sitting down jazz date by a bunch of pros that understand the personal nature of the project. A set that comes from the heart and gut, people that want to feel some visceral music will get this right out of the box. Well done.
CDBaby
