Missoula Independent
Vol. 15, No. 50
Dec. 9 - Dec. 16, 2004
pg. 41

Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio - Once Around the Sun self-released
by Andy Smetanka

Jeni Fleming strikes me in the same way Eden Atwood does: diva in self-imposed exile. There's no regional bias to native talent, of course, and we should feel lucky to have them. But the very idea that two such hugely talented singers would choose to live in Montana, far from anything approaching a real jazz scene - it's just a little weird. Atwood regularly commutes to gig in places as far-flung as Hong Kong and Japan. Since setting up their music export business in Bozeman, the Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio has toured a few weeks here and there but, as Fleming puts it in her press release, "As much as we love Bozeman, we think maybe we should get out a little more." And they will, no doubt, if Fleming's voice is to be their passport. Though Fleming is as much a classical pianist by training as a vocalist, you'll barely even notice there's no piano on Once Around the Sun. But you will certainly notice Fleming. Her vocals on the album's 11 tracks breathe jazz almost independent of Chad Langford's woody stand-up bass and Jake Fleming's plainspoken bossa nova guitar. By turns warm, cool and (on "Lush Life") kinda gaspy, it's a voice to call you back to this album many times. The Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio will perform at UM's Masquer Theatre on Sunday, Dec . 12, at 7PM. See calendar in this issue for details.