Paul Berner - Say the Word (Live) (2017/2020)

Anyone who ventures into The Beatles' repertoire goes on slippery ice. Every fiber of the compositions of Lennon & McCartney is precisely chiselled in the collective musical memory. Not in the last place thanks to the ingenious arrangements of producer George Martin who quite rightly went through "fifth Beatle".

The love for jazz and pop is proportional to the American double bass player Paul Berner, who lives in the Netherlands. He previously worked with Elvis Presley on guitar work Ed Verhoeff and Peter Tiehuis and reed player Michael Moore. Now, in the same line-up, he chose "Rubber Soul", the first LP he bought as a little kid, and also the album that marked the transition for The Beatles from popular music from the early years to work with an innovative signature.`

Berner often leaves the harmonies of the pieces that have grown into classics intact. "Norwegian Wood," Nowhere Man, "Run For Your Life", In My Life, "Girl" and "Michelle" are highlighted. Beautiful is how alternately the vocal bass, guitars and clarinet express the intentions of a melody. Or how they go together, such as in the lovely "Michelle" where the melodies of guitar and clarinet merge.

Every now and then there is room for improvisation or the tempo of a composition is released. Pop is transformed into jazz that is not always happy in this limited line-up. The genius lines disappear into the background and make way for beautiful musical excesses, the necessity of which is, however, lacking.

"Say The Word" is strongest when the original ideas are closely followed. Songs for infinity that can be thoughtlessly hummed with it.