Discographies

FATEA RECORDS - UK (Harry Thomson)
Melanie Dekker is a Canadian singer-songwriter, with Dutch roots, who has been playing professionally in North America since the mid-90s, and who appears to have been successful in Europe, given that her Wikipedia entry is published in German. This live album, recorded in the Netherlands and Germany showcases her song writing, with backing from a band which, curiously, features two keyboard players, bass, guitar and no percussion. Opener "Blush" really sets the tone for the set, Dekker's acoustic and David Sinclair's electric guitar, paving the way for Dekker's low-pitched rich voice. This is a good choice of song, probably one of the strongest in the set. Much of the rest of the album is in similar vein. Dekker's songs are pleasant enough, and the arrangements are standard country-based AOR, which no doubt does go down very well on the continental circuit. It's difficult to tell though, as the recording has more or less removed any audience applause at the end of each song. This partly defeats the purpose of a live recording, and (unfairly) makes the performances seem less valid. The rest of the set comprises twelve more songs, primarily focusing on Dekker's voice and Sinclair's guitar, although "What A Fool I Am" is piano-based and provides a welcome change in tone. The jaunty "Boomerang" in particular would have benefited from percussion to move it along, and the same is true of much of the rest of the set. I know they can be wearisome companions on the road, but drummers are not THAT hard to come by!
Very competently performed, and professionally arranged and rehearsed, the album will no doubt be welcomed by Dekker's fan-base.

Lonesome Highway - IRELAND (Stephen Rapid)
Melanie Dekker 'Live in Europe' - Self Release
This Canadian artist began recording solo in the late 1990’s and has built a solid career over the years. Live in Europe clocks in at around 50 minutes and the 13 tracks were recorded at 4 concerts in Germany and Holland. Dekker is joined by a group of 4 players on guitars, bass and keyboards as she delivers folk oriented songs that visit a wide range of topics from matters of the heart (Blush, Boomerang) the price of commitment (The Price You Pay, Meant to Be), loss of innocence (Distant Star, At the Junkyard), communication breakdown (Flowers, Stare at the Rain) and philosophical musings (Maybe We’re the Angels). David Sinclair plays guitars with some aplomb and his reputation as a member of Sarah McLachlan’s band gives him due respect and gravitas. The overall playing is both sensitive and subtle in service of these quiet vignettes of life, but the lack of any audience presence takes away from the fact that it is essentially a live recording. Muted applause and a few clipped song intros, do not add to the feel of the project. However, Melanie sings with a beautifully clear voice and the songs are worth repeated plays.

Musik an sich - GERMANY (Wolfgang Giese)
Die Kanadierin mit niederländischen Vorfahren wurde in Calgary geboren und lebt in Vancouver. Mit dem Spielen von Coversongs startete sie ihre musikalische Laufbahn schon in jungen Jahren und schrieb sich nach der Highschool für ein zweijähriges Studium in Vancouver ein, im Jazz-Programm. Den Abschluss erlangte sie mit einem Diplom in Jazz und Pop. Diese neue Platte ist live aufgenommen worden, die Aufnahmen stammen aus vier verschiedenen Konzerten, und zwar die #6, 7, 11, 13 aus Borger in den Niederlanden, die #5, 8 aus Celle, der #1 aus Kiel und der Rest, also die #2-4, 9, 10, 12 aus Obertrubach.

Im Gegensatz zu ihren guten Studioplatten sehe ich diese Liveplatte viel stärker, sie wirkt für mich viel direkter, Melanie’s kraftvolle Stimme wirkt hier noch einen Tick rauer, gleich beim Opener setzt sie entsprechende Akzente, die sofort aufhorchen lassen.Ich vernehme starke Einflüsse von Joni Mitchell und das ausgedrückt mit eigener Färbung der Musik.

Und diese Ausprägung kommt gerade in dieser spartanisch ausgestatteten Live-Präsentation sehr gut zur Geltung, mit sehr intimen Charakter, wobei sie es versteht, Gefühle zu transportieren, Gefühle, die beim Hörer ankommen. Dabei wird sie von einfühlsamen Musikern unterstützt, die unauffällig und doch unverzichtbar für den Gesamtsound wirken und somit eine perfekte Abrundung der sehr harmonischen und melodisch geprägten Stimmung. Und so fällt es mir schwer, einen Lieblingssong herauszupicken, denn diese Platte fesselt von Anfang bis Ende, sofern man hierfür Muße und Ruhe zur Verfügung hat, denn zum Nebenbei-Hören eignet sich diese hochklassige Musik mitnichten.