(September 29, 2023) Vocal jazz quartet säje emerged onto the scene three years ago, scoring their first Grammy nomination for their debut tune, “Desert Song”. To create what their debut self-titled album, group members Erin Bentlage, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick and Sara Gazarek pooled together funds and resources to produce the effort themselves as well as distribute. The result is a Top 5 hit album on the jazz charts. Well done.
One such track from säje's album may be familiar to many but the quartet handles this tune in a very unfamiliar way – the Michael Jackson classic from the Off The Wall album, “I Can’t Help It”, composed by the legendary Stevie Wonder (music) and former Supreme, Susaye Greene (lyrics). Let me forewarn you, saje takes this gem and shoots it through a serious vocal jazz filter full of twists and turns. Yes, they stay true to Wonder’s melody and Greene’s poetry, but the approach is hella-crazy.
(September 29, 2023) Vocal jazz quartet säje emerged onto the scene three years ago, scoring their first Grammy nomination for their debut tune, “Desert Song”. To create what their debut self-titled album, group members Erin Bentlage, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick and Sara Gazarek pooled together funds and resources to produce the effort themselves as well as distribute. The result is a Top 5 hit album on the jazz charts. Well done.
One such track from säje's album may be familiar to many but the quartet handles this tune in a very unfamiliar way – the Michael Jackson classic from the Off The Wall album, “I Can’t Help It”, composed by the legendary Stevie Wonder (music) and former Supreme, Susaye Greene (lyrics). Let me forewarn you, saje takes this gem and shoots it through a serious vocal jazz filter full of twists and turns. Yes, they stay true to Wonder’s melody and Greene’s poetry, but the approach is hella-crazy.
Group member Amanda Taylor, who served as the song’s arranger, puts her work with prior greats such as the Manhattan Transfer to use here. The tempo is way up, the vocalese-style is intense, the support from the rhythm section is solid and Snarky Puppy’s Bob Reynolds’ soprano sax solo is bright and full of color. An excellent collaboration.
One thing I must put saje and others who’ve praised them such as WRTI-FM on notice – while Stevie Wonder did indeed write the music, Susaye Greene (one of the last members of the Supremes) wrote the brilliant lyrics to “I Can’t Help It”. Seeing that Ms. Greene wasn’t even mentioned by the group nor the press in their commentaries is unfortunate. While I commend the four women of saje for their adventurous take on a longtime favorite, other great female storytellers such as Ms. Greene and her excellent lyrical work here are to be respected.
By Kevin Goins
säje - "I Can't Help It"