Ramona Borthwick (piano, keyboard, voice)
Ingrid Jensen (trumpet)
Noel Borthwick (guitar)
Johannes Weidenmueller (bass)
Adam Cruz (drums)
“Borthwick, who authored all the pieces in this self- produced and self-released CD, walks both sides of the street, playing excellent, if not quite distinctive, straightahead piano throughout, while adding her shimmering, wordless soprano lines to selected ensembles along the way. She does this sparingly, sometimes subtlety, and frequently hauntingly, never scatting or soloing but instead embedding and camouflaging herself deep into meticulously orchestrated unison lines in which her voice seems to float on piano, guitar and horn…”
—JOHN McDONOUGH, Downbeat Magazine [full review]
“I like the warm spiritual vibe, especially Borthwick’s wordless vocals, a la Flora Purim. ”
—PAUL de BARROS, Downbeat Magazine
“As impressive a pianist as Borthwick is, it is the strength and depth of the compositions which provides the lasting impression on this recording… One Of Us is a delightful reminder from Ramona Borthwick and her quintet that jazz this good never goes out of style.”
—IAN PATTERSON, AAJ [full review]
“Ramona Borthwick proves that there is some depth among younger composers. Her bright work is agape at the immensity of all things. It appears that she looks at the world with childlike wonder, but is also privy to the true and deep nature of what she sees…”
—RAUL d’GAMA ROSE, Editor, AAJ [full review]
“She’s a fine player, displaying a style that has its roots in mainstream jazz. Her solos are often lyrical (listen to the beauty and strength of the title track) and she can really dig into her phrases. Her wordless vocals add yet another color to several of the tracks, mixing well with the guitar and trumpet or flugelhorn.”
—RICHARD KAMIN [full review]
“The recording (One of Us) radiates top-flight professionalism in every respect, with imaginative, rhythmically buoyant originals throughout as well as wonderfully assured, distinguished ensemble and solo playing by each performer. The production values and recorded sound are outstanding and distinctive, too. Brava and kudos for this remarkable and impressive accomplishment!”
—JACK GALLAGHER, composer
‘ONE OF US’ is Ramona Borthwick’s latest CD release as a leader. The successor to her well-received debut ‘A New Leaf’, it showcases her evolution as an artist and composer. With a depth that stretches beyond her previous work, the ten compositions on the CD feature Ramona’s distinctive multi-textural writing, piano playing and vocal styles. Borthwick’s music conveys a narrative quality, spiritual depth, infectious energy and intuitive flow drawing influences from contemporary bost-bop, ECM jazz, classical music and her legacy from India. Stellar performances from trumpet player Ingrid Jensen, guitarist Noel Borthwick, bassist Johannes Weidenmueller and drummer Adam Cruz abound, making this ‘concept’ album a rewarding listener experience. Recorded, mixed and mastered in audiophile format at 24 bit/96 KHz resolution, this production exhibits pristine HD audio quality, capturing every nuance in the performances.
Track Listing:
1. Who’s Your Mama
2. Chinese Whispers
3. Listening To Love
4. One Of Us
5. Resident Alien
6. Gaia
7. Eight Winds
8. Garden Of The Gods
9. Retrospeak
10. Rio Alegre
All compositions by Ramona Borthwick © Leitmotif (ASCAP)
Produced by Noel Borthwick
Recorded by Paul Wicliffe, Charlestown Road Studios, NJ, April 27 & 28, 2008
Mixing & Additional recording by Noel Borthwick & Daniel Abreu
Mastered by Oscar Zambrano, Zampol Productions, NYC
Art & Graphic design by Ramona Borthwick, Leitmotif
Photography by Glenn Kulbako
Total playing time: 70:13 minutes
℗ & © 2009 Leitmotif. All Rights Reserved.
