local musician david mcleod has made his way performing other people’s songs in piano bars, all the while working up to this debut album|  the opener, get over it, is a swinging pop with a nod to van morrison, harry connick jnr and matt bianco| 

 the rest of the album veers between easy listening soul and joe jackson-style ivory pop, slinky double bass grooves, new-age nature noises and lounge music with a twist, while mcleod challenges the listener with his unorthodox phrasing|           ***

peter holmes| the sun-herald  - tempo

“mcleod has a light, malleable voice reminiscent of michael franks and his program of all original songs is supple and lightweight, sung over a small group featuring piano and vibes|”

Cadence| usa

“mcleod’s singing draws upon several admitted influences in the worlds of jazz, pop and r&b| his singing is persuasive and he admirably textures his interpretations of lyrics| his own compositions offer intriguing hints of his continuing interest in the musical and lyrical aspects of nature|”

virgin encyclopaedia of jazz| london

despite the title, this is not a blues album| sydney singer/pianist david mcleod is a jazz vocalist whose debut cd reveals a superbly well-rounded, mature, assured and absolutely original voice| the 12 songs, all mcleod compositions, make compelling listening| the backing, david’s own lyrical piano, bass, drums, plus vibes and percussion on some tracks, is surprisingly lush and smooth|

natural sounds, the sea, weather, animals, are used to open or close some songs with pleasing results| there is little instrumental improvisation| the song, the voice, and the arrangement is the focus| vocal jazz is not usually my cup of tea, but this is a refreshing and satisfying brew|

mark d.| rhythms

this is the debut album for talented singer/songwriter, david mcleod.  comprising 12 original tracks, am i blue reflects the composer’s intimate observations of life| the result is an album which, though seemingly familiar to us, is fresh in its outlook, and professional in its execution|

david’s voice certainly suits this genre, soft yet retaining character|  in fact, david has sung with the likes of renee geyer, and made regular tv appearances, such is his appeal|

am i blue is not strictly jazz, or blues, but is a hybrid of david’s making|  the opening track, ‘get over it’ is sensational, and is a perfect example of his vocal style|

ambience|

the up-and-coming label la brava, already the medium for the delightful singing of janet seidel and the recent much-praised ‘doodlin’ of janet with tom baker (both to star at this year’s “jazz in the highlands” festival) gives us here a cd a bit off the beaten track of jazz but hugely captivating| there are twelve originals by mcleod and the cd was produced by david seidel, janet’s brother, who will also appear at the festival in november| 

mcleod has worked with leading sydney jazzmen at the basement, soup plus and other venues as well as in radio and on tv shows| in these songs, artistically and sensitively performed, and as with all the la brava cds, beautifully recorded, there are elements of jazz, blues, pop, soul and folk music| ‘am i blue’, the title tune, is not the jazz tune as we know it, but an original and one of mcleod’s best| some of the songs explore social issues like ‘the getting over it’ and ‘where do we go?’ and some are meditative like ‘stardust years’| 

a wholly intriguing cd|

cd reviews  by clement semmler

with jazz and jazz-based musical forms coming in for more grassroots youth interest than at any time since the forties and fifties, jazz vocals seems to have been somewhat ignored or relegated to a rap chant| this balance is redressed by the recent release of young sydney pianist/singer-songwriter david mcleod|

comparisons with our only other prominent jazz chanteur vince jones, are inevitable – but not wholly appropriate| mcleod’s voice, though not quite as self-assured and pitch-perfect as jones’, incorporates more of the demanding melismatic acrobatics of a stevie wonder, harnessed to decidedly jazz-flavoured changes|

on occasion, he evokes the complex progressions and neat phrasing of elvis costello and there are distant but audible echoes of mose allison and ramsey lewis| the songs are david’s own, compiled over several years and illustrating his ambitious approach to chords and melody|

the changes are unpredictable (sometimes annoyingly discursive) and the tunes seldom conventionally melodic, though in his explorations he unearths many a highly original gem of hook and many a memorable tune|

surprises include david’s own overdubbed csny vocal harmonies and the odd ambient owl-noise, cricket-chirp and thunderclap spliced in to charge the mood| though the all-important swing sometimes gets lost in the effort to put lyrics across, mcleod’s thoughtful and decidedly ‘90s lyrics repay the trade-off|

mcleod is a strong writer and performer whose voice, with experience, will doubtless firm up to match the creativity and assurance of his considerable talent|

sound and image