:: Live at the Basement

Robyne Dunn

Robyne Dunn, if you have not come across her work before, is a singer-songwriter of high standard. Her resplendent soprano voice, combined with her journeys between jazz, blues and pop, has offered over the years a place for the listener to be guided through the deep emotional experiences that mark all our lives as we seek love and negotiate the tangled web of our relationships. On this album, Matt McMahon joins her on piano, Steve Hunter on bass, Dave Goodman on drums, Dave Theak on tenor saxophone and Phil Slater on trumpet. This latest album is her fourth offering, and her first live recording to be released. I am struck by the standard of this live recording – its clarity is truly an achievement. Robyne Dunn is one of a regretfully small number of female producers in Australia, and the standard of the production on this album is another indication of her many talents (she has also pursued painting and acting successfully). The live sound captured is a warm one which is suggestive of the intimacy of the venue, with a remarkable brilliance that is not weighed down with excessive reverb, which always gives the listener the impression that the artist is performing down a well. Each track is a beautifully rendered effort that is both sensitive and studied. I particularly enjoyed the way in which Dunn and her fellow musicians have created a most desirable precise balance between the instrumentation and the vocals. At all times the piano, bass, drums, saxophone and trumpet respectfully allow Dunn’s superb vocals to dominate. Yet, her pauses are made use of to bring each instrument into prominence according to jazz convention. This is always achieved in a relaxed manner, which feeds into the general late night feel of the album. My personal favourite track, ‘Valley of Tears’ is a moving study of melancholy that is poetic, without being flowery or exorbitant, and elegant, both lyrically and musically. I am at a loss to explain why Robyne Dunn has not risen through to the mainstream charts here. Her talents deserve recognition that is much more widespread. Australia has a strong tradition of female singer-songwriters; Dunn is certainly among the cream. Perhaps this is both her strength and weakness: there should be a market for female artists that create beautiful, challenging music, but looking at the current Top 20 perhaps not?