The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: THE MARCH DIVIDE – “KING OF THE LOST CAUSE”
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THOMAS DOLLBAUM – WELLSWOOD
SPILL NEW MUSIC: DIANA ROSS FT. TAME IMPALA RELEASE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW SINGLE “TURN UP THE SUNSHINE”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: HOUSEWIFE SHARE BRAND NEW TRACK “PATRICK BATEMAN”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: STILL EIGHTEEN – “KEEP ROCKING”
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AVI KAPLAN – FLOATING ON A DREAM
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: COMING UP ROSES – “WOULD YOU EVER”
SPILL FEATURE: SONGS FROM PEOPLE ARE ALSO SONGS ABOUT PEOPLE – A CONVERSATION WITH DARI MAKSYMOVA OF 6TH CROWD
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: LOST CAT – “LOSERS BEWARE”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: FÉNIXDION – “SUGAR”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: BIBLIOTEKA – “TICK TOCK”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: GWAR HAVE GONE BERSERK! CHECK OUT THE NEW SONG “BERSERKER MODE” OUT NOW
SPILL NEW MUSIC: QUEEN KWONG RELEASES HER TAKE ON A ‘POP’ SONG “WITHOUT YOU, WHATEVER”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: ART D’ECCO – “MIDLIFE CRISIS”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: YUNGBLUD ANNOUNCES SELF-TITLED THIRD STUDIO ALBUM SET FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 2 VIA LOCOMOTION/GEFFEN RECORDS
SPILL NEWS: CANADIAN PUNK LEGENDS DAYGLO ABORTIONS HIT THE ROAD WITH CITIZEN RAGE FOR A CROSS CANADA TOUR
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Week
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
132
Editor Pick
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS - STILL WISH YOU WERE HERE: A TRIBUTE TO PINK FLOYD
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PJ HARVEY - THE PEEL SESSIONS 1991-2004

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: OBED CALVAIRE, BOB FRANCESCHINI, KEVIN HAYS & ORLANDO LE FLEMING – WHOLE LOTTA LOVE: THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN

Calvaire Franceschini Hays & Le Fleming

Obed Calvaire, Bob Franceschini, Kevin Hays & Orlando Le Fleming
Whole Lotta Love: The Music Of Led Zeppelin
Chesky Records

I went to jazz school and in a first-year jazz performance workshop, a guitarist bent a note in his solo, to which my professor – truly one of the greatest guitar players I’ve witnessed – called the band to a halt as he yelled, “no fucking vibrato! Do you think this is Led Zeppelin?” That moment lives rent free in my mind and I can’t help but smirk as I review Whole Lotta Love: The Music Of Led Zeppelin, a collection of Zeppelin’s greatest hits orchestrated, arranged, and performed in the context of jazz by Obed Calvaire, Bob Franceschini, Kevin Hays, and Orlando Le Fleming. What easily could have fallen flat as a novelty soars due to a strong performance from the band that ultimately breathes a new sense of life into the classic catalogue and songwriting of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Opening with the titular track, the sound of softly swung drums, a plucked upright bass, and the warm echo of a piano as accented but the sharp tone of an alto saxophone that cuts through the air, performing the iconic riff and Plant’s vocal melodies. The song is very recognizable until the band breaks into the solo sections and, when returning to the hook at the end, shift from the upbeat swung pulse into a driving, straight ahead beat. This band pulls no punches. “Dazed And Confused” only furthers this with a spacious and atmospheric direct reinterpretation of the original. Over the five-minute performance, the band bounces between the different parts of the song, ensuring that every note played counts. The conviction in this performance is crucial. “Immigrant Song” sees them flex their abilities as arrangers and performing a loose interpretation of the original. Trading in the bombast and hard rock nature of the original comes a haunting and melancholic mood, effectively turning “Immigrant Song” into a ballad.

Every song on Whole Lotta Love: The Music Of Led Zeppelin is a highlight all to itself. “Kashmir” is an atypical and polyrhythmic journey into the mysticism that Zeppelin only hinted about while “For Your Life” and “Custard Pie” both flaunt an effortless strut. “The Battle Of Evermore” takes the tone of a stirring and soaring ballad whereas “In My Time Of Dying” delivers a funky groove coloured by blue notes and unique harmonies without disrupting the lingering darkness of the original. The album comes to a strong close with an absolutely stunning cover of “No Quarter”.

Whole Lotta Love: The Music Of Led Zeppelin demonstrates a band in top form as they take these songs, tracks that are considered quintessential to the rock ‘n’ roll lexicon, and flip them into what sounds as if they’re jazz standards. Their ability to do so lies in their excellent performance – the musicality from all members is stellar – and their conviction. A lesser band would have played a note for note transcription with a swung element and called it a day; however, Calvaire, Franceschini, Hays, and Fleming outclass their peers and bring justice to the legacy of Led Zeppelin. Furthermore, this album speaks bounds to the songwriting and performance of Zeppelin; there is something universally timeless to their work and Whole Lotta Love: The Music Of Led Zeppelin emphasises just that at its heart. Calvaire, Franceschini, Hays, and Fleming have delivered an incredible and passionate album, front to back, and will leave you feeling genuinely thrilled with such a revitalized rendition of some of Zeppelin’s greatest songs – just don’t tell the jazz police.



Artist Websites

website_flat_2016 website_flat_2016 website_flat_2016 website_flat_2016

Editor Pick
Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: OBED CALVAIRE, BOB FRANCESCHINI, KEVIN HAYS & ORLANDO LE FLEMING – WHOLE LOTTA LOVE: THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN

Author

Gerrod Harris

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
—
9.0
Total Spill Rating
—
Total Fan Rating
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewsbob franceschinikevin haysled zeppelinobed calvaireorlando le flemingwhole lotta lovewhole lotta love: the music of led zeppelin
album review, album reviews, bob franceschini, kevin hays, led zeppelin, obed calvaire, orlando le fleming, whole lotta love, whole lotta love: the music of led zeppelin
About the Author
Gerrod Harris
A passion for music has always been a part of Gerrod’s life. As a young boy, he was raised on a steady diet of the music from The Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, The Stones, Prince, and others from his mum. Raised in the GTA, Gerrod continued to foster his love for music by attending a wide range of concerts and learning the drums. His unapologetic passion for music has no bounds and has spread to a wide variety of styles, whether it be the 90’s rock that sound tracked his teenage years, the jazz he studied in university, or his newfound love for hip-hop. He recently received his bachelors in music and education from York University and is passionate about writing and reviewing good (and less than good) music. Gerrod is also the drummer and songwriter for a Toronto based rock & roll band, One In The Chamber.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewsled zeppelin
 
8.0
Thomas Dollbaum

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THOMAS DOLLBAUM – WELLSWOOD

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on May 20, 2022
Thomas Dollbaum Wellswood Big Legal Mess “I grew up in a small town between nowhere and nothing. By reputation, people move to Florida to run away from their problems, but instead of [...]
 
8.0
Avi Caplan
—

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AVI KAPLAN – FLOATING ON A DREAM

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on May 20, 2022
Avi Kaplan Floating On A Dream Fantasy Records One thing singer-songwriters can impress their potential audience with is their vocals. It can be any specific characteristic, from [...]
 
9.0
On-U Sound
—

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – PAY IT ALL BACK VOL. 8

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on May 13, 2022
Various Artists Pay It All Back Vol. 8 On-U Sound Master producer/songwriter/artist Adrian Sherwood has been behind all things On-U Sound since 1979, and since then he and [...]
 
8.0
Say Sue Me

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SAY SUE ME – THE LAST THING LEFT

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on May 13, 2022
Say Sue Me The Last Thing Left Damnably Sumi Choi (vocalist, guitarist) and her band Say Sue Me are from Busan, Korea. If that tells you that you would be in for some K-pop on their [...]
 
8.0
John Inghram

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOHN INGHRAM – JOHN INGHRAM

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on May 13, 2022
John Inghram John Inghram CD Baby John Inghram built a name for himself as a musician’s musician, particularly among artist that try to get the gist of the music that has anything [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THOMAS DOLLBAUM – WELLSWOOD
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AVI KAPLAN – FLOATING ON A DREAM
8.0
—
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – PAY IT ALL BACK VOL. 8
9.0
—
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SAY SUE ME – THE LAST THING LEFT
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOHN INGHRAM – JOHN INGHRAM
8.0

Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Week
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2022 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL FEATURE: CRUISE TO THE EDGE 2022 – THIS YEAR’S PROG CRUISE MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. A WHOLE LOT OF NOISE.
688
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PRIMUS – CONSPIRANOID
445
 
SPILL FEATURE: DANCE TO THE PERFECT MESS – A CONVERSATION WITH CARL MARSH OF SHRIEKBACK
410
 
SPILL FEATURE: DON’T YOU FEEL CLOSER? – A CONVERSATION WITH CY CURNIN OF THE FIXX
396
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MEN WITHOUT HATS – AGAIN (PART 2)
326
 
SPILL NEWS: BARENAKED LADIES TO RELEASE LIVE TRACKS FROM SOLD-OUT ROYAL ALBERT HALL SHOW | DELUXE EDITION OF ‘DETOUR DE FORCE’ OUT JUNE 3
325
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – UNLIMITED LOVE
315
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: JERRY CANTRELL w/ LOLA COLETTE @ HISTORY, TORONTO
288
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: LOST CAT – “L.O.S.T.”
275
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TANGERINE DREAM – RAUM
272
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NAZARETH – SURVIVING THE LAW
258
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VR SEX – ROUGH DIMENSION
257
 
SPILL NEW MUSIC: VENUS BEMUS RELEASES DEBUT SINGLE “STORMS”
251
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES