Distinctive vocals lexicography
Mayo's definitive post-Bobby McFerrin interpretations
The Fly personnel includes pianist-keyboardist Shai Maestro, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Nate Smith, the on-screen drummer seen gnomically at regular intervals on Iñárritu's fabulous Birdman.
Four and more
There are 11 tracks with the Mayo treatment of Miles Davis' 'Four' and opener 'Bag of Bones' the already issued singles. Other tracks include the standard 'I Didn’t Know What Time It Was'.
Mayo provides most of his own backing vocals while Scott Mayo - Michael's dad (who was a saxophonist for Earth, Wind & Fire) - provides some too as well as some alto saxophone on the title track which is a family affair that also involves Michael's mum Valerie Pinkston, a backing singer for Diana Ross.
Scott also plays soprano sax on a version of Wayne Shorter's 'Speak No Evil.'
Fly also includes originals and covers of 'Just Friends', Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's 'It Could Happen To You' first recorded by Jo Stafford in the 1940s and covered by Ian Shaw in the 1990s on The Echo of a Song plus Fran dancing to the music of time with Tommy Wolf Eliotian tip of the hat 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most' as well as the Miles treatment.
Ethereal lightness of touch
The title track has voicings that are fantastically light and mobile. It's a bit Bobby McFerrin-esque.
And you get that sense too on late 1930s Rodgers and Hart classic 'I Didn't Know What Time It Was' covered in recent years by Champian Fulton and Giacomo Gates and instrumentally by both Anthony Wonsey and Tigran.
This has some of Mayo's best vocalese and some wonderfully rendered to and fro with the backing vocals deftly harmonised.
Altogether it's so credibly a very jazz centred album - this isn't crossover at all as you can guess from both the personnel and the solidly centred jazz material but also the nature of US singer Mayo's voice.
Mayo magic began back in the day with 'The Way'
If still unfamiliar with Mayo go hear 'The Way' that we endorsed in 2020 and which stands the test of time more than well.
From LA the singer lives in New York, is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory of Music and one of the few vocalists to have studied at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance.
Vijay Iyer trio member Oh's bass lines on opener 'Bag of Bones' give the beginning of the album a lot of motion - the lyrics are about being connected.
Percussive sense
Mayo's percussive sense comes through on 'Just Friends' the 30s standard associated with Charlie Parker instrumental with-strings classic version later interpreted so movingly by (Little) Jimmy Scott on his Todd Barkan produced 2001 Milestone Over the Rainbow classic.
Swung feel
And there's a great swung feel to the intro to 'I Wish'. Maestro's soloing on 'Frenzy' has some of his best playing. Other highlights of the acclaimed Israeli pianist's and whose ECM album Human was a 2021 bright spot include his accompaniment on the Landesman classic 'Spring…' first covered by Jackie and Roy in the 1950s and a couple of years ago by Nicole Zuraitis who won the Grammy stunningly for best jazz singer this year with How Love Begins. Altogether something of a must and our album of the week.
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