THE GOLDEN VOICE OF ROBERT COVINGTON
This LP, though it features Covington’s propulsive percussion on all but one track, is designed to showcase his talents as a vocalist. Covington’s voice has matured remarkably over the past several years; it’s become deeper and more expressive, and he’s been steadily expanding his repertoire away from basic blues and boogie into more sophisticated contemporary forms.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Covington is showcased here in a variety of stylistic contexts, some more satisfying than others, but all pointing to a versatility and musical richness that he’s just beginning to tap. “Trust in Me,” the opener, kicks off in a loping, funky rhythm buoyed by a mellow horn arrangement that accentuates the soulful romanticism of the melody. Covington’s voice, here and throughout, is the voice we know from the clubs: smooth, with a hint of blues grit, and delivered with a good-natured enunciation that makes it sound as if he’s smiling while he sings. This knack of bringing humor to even the most angry blues is one of the most distinctive facets of Covington’s style.
“Blues in the Night,” on the other hand, becomes a mellow croon in Covington’s hands. The angry, almost misogynistic tale told by the lyrics is related with a sigh of resignation laced with good humor–especially during his “ahooey” train-whistle moans–and a relaxed sense of fatalism. While this approach will probably make the song more palatable to postfeminist sensibillties, it’s questionable whether it makes good musical sense. Like it or not, expressions of anger toward lovers are an integral component of blues and jazz expression–because, of course, they’re an integral component of life. This reading walks the line between reinterpreting and watering down. Fortunately, the nightclubby noodling of pianist Sumito Ariyoshi and the bluesy melodiousness of John Brumbach’s tenor sax bring a melancholy weariness to the song that keeps it close to its roots.
This track provides a clue to an important untapped potential. Listening to “I Want to Thank Ya,” I was sorry that Red Beans didn’t give Covington the opportunity to develop this side of his musical personality–his voice sounds as if it’s aching to wrap itself around a smoldering, romantic soul ballad. Covington is a superb singer of blues, he interprets standards with creativity and imagination, and he’s becoming more confident in a pop-funk context. As a passionate soul balladeer he’d strike pay dirt.
