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Reviews for Left Coast Life

Nathaniel Friedman, Jazziz Magazine
"The fourth release by this Bay Area chanteuse makes you feel good about jazz singing again. Her liquid voice and limber phrasing are bewitching form start to finish, leading the listener through and astounding array of standards, offbeat covers and originals. Throughout, Margolis never once sounds dated or blandly impressionistic-liabilities to which her peers often succumb."
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Ezra Gale, Amazon.com
"While vocalist Kitty Margolis is often compared to jazz greats like Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald, a more apt and contemporary comparison would be to Cassandra Wilson. Not that the two singers have much in common stylistically--Margolis's vocal delivery is much more energetic than the sultry and laid-back Wilson--but the two share in common a willingness to broaden their palette beyond the traditional reaches of the jazz singer. Such willingness to follow her own muse is what makes Left Coast Life, such an enjoyable and refreshing jazz vocal album."
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Carlo Wolff, The Cleveland Scene
"Margolis' stylings evoke Betty Carter one moment and Marilyn Monroe the next...sexy, sparkling, luminous and enthralling. She sings with joy and spunk. Not only does Margolis write cool tunes - her funky 'You Just Might Get It' marries the Beatnik soulfulness of Mose Allison with the glittering disdain of Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain'- she has superb taste in music and musicians. Her topics are pretentiousness, authenticity and intimacy and she's always credible. (Left Coast Life is) album that always generates heat but never loses its cool."
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Dave Nathan, All About Jazz.com
"If the major purposes - - or at least some of them - - of a jazz singer are to inject a fresh breath into standards and to make sense of newer material, then San Francisco singer Kitty Margolis sits at the top of the class for achieving these noble goals. The West Coast vocalist is well known for her insightful interpretations of standard and pop material, a reputation she solidly established with her previous three releases forher Mad-Kat label. This latest entry does nothing to diminish her perfect track record nor her reputation. Left Coast Life is a major jazz vocal release and is thoroughly recommended"
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Lee Prosser, Jazz Review.com
"Her voice is one of a kind, very seductive, very much in sync with the emotions of the lyric and its music, and a voice that vibrates with shared emotional responses. ...a perfect blend of jazz vocals and jazz music. Kitty Margolis is at her finest in this collection, and each song is memorable. Excellent."
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Sheldon T. Nunn , Jazz Review.com
"A savvy and often times provocative songstress, this lady can truly blow a standard of vocalese that is unprecedented nowadays. Kitty does not often follow the rules set by tradition, she enjoys experimentation and innovation. She loves to sing from the inside out, as she uses her voice to provide a seemingly endless perspective on a wide range of musical influences.This latest effort brings the essence of modern jazz and popular originals to the forefront, illustrating her versatility; not only as a singer, but as an arranger as well. Listen for the track "It's You" with guitarist Joyce Cooling. On that cut, Kitty lets loose with a provocative Brazilian-influenced original that allows her to test her musical metal. On the flip-side, she includes Pink Floyd's "Money" as a strong indication of just how versatile she can be as a jazz-activated interpreter of other musical styles. 'Left Coast Life' is an outstanding display of musical delights."
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Ed Trefgzer, Jazz Week.com
"With so many so-called jazz vocal recordings released every year, it is refreshing to hear one in which the vocalist is a bona fide jazz singer with a true mastery of her instrument. "Left Coast Life" is just such an album. Where Kitty really shines is on her original material and on recordings of songs not usually part of the standard repertoire. Her “You Just Might Get It” is an insistent tune that skewers today's “poseurs,” and is the CDís best track. Margolis, who wrote or contributed to most of the arrangements on Left Coast Life, also gives Pink Floyd's “Money” a trippy jazz spin, and brings a klezmer touch to Randy Newmanís “Lonely at the Top.” Margolis has been compared to such luminaries as Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan. Left Coast Life is delightful evidence that Kitty is deserving of that praise."
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