Wood and Fitzgibbon Persist … Unfortunately!

Cover of the album being discussed (from the Jazz Hang Records Web site)

Back in my student days, I seem to recall a Zen koan that seemed consistent with my struggles:

Hard work succeeds … naturally!

I was reminded of that koan by the persistence of vocalist Jack Wood and Australian jazz singer Nichaud Fitzgibbon to crank out albums for Jazz Hang Records. Unfortunately, no matter how much effort is expended, persistence does not always lead to success.

The full title of their latest album is Movie Magic: Great Songs From the Movies. What is interesting is the number songs that were appropriated for movies, rather than composed for them. In one case, the movie was actually named after the song, Carl Reiner’s That Old Feeling. (This one was Reiner’s last film, and the general consensus is that it is also best forgotten!)

Song titles aside, both Fitzgibbon and Wood are consistently inconsistent where pitch is concerned. This is most evident when both of them sing at the same time. However, even their give-and-take exchanges leave much to be desired. I suppose the best summary can also be traced back to my youth: Movie Magic is an album that “fills a well-needed gap!”