Garry Dial and Terre Roche; US An' Them

Albums

People all over the world recognize “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but how many of us Stateside are familiar with other countries' anthems? Save for maybe “La Marseillese” or “God Save The Queen,” it is doubtful that the average American us_an_them064might recognize any of these melodies.

In an attempt to correct this, pianist Garry Dial and vocalist Terre Roche embarked on this highly intriguing project that brings together several performers from different nations, who together reinterpret sixteen international anthems. The disc begins with a samba version of The Brazilian National Anthem. Barbara Mendes provides the lead vocals here, while guitar wiz Romero Lubambo quietly steals the scene with his incredible technique. Patrick Gordon joyfully sings the Jamaican anthem in (you guessed right) an upbeat reggae arrangement that features a fantastic brass section by David Mann (saxophone) and Barry Danielian (trumpet). “La Marseillese” appears here with an English translation and a quirky Euro-jazz format that deems the tune almost unrecognizable but still enjoyable.

Listen also to the Israeli theme, which goes into a Klezmer-meets-rock vibe. Singer Levi Kaplan has an uncanny vocal resemblance to David Byrne, and together with the musicians' playful approach it does remind us of the kind of material played by The Talking Heads. For those who want to celebrate this country, there is a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” that also sounds great.
Label: JustDialRoche
Release Date: 9-19-08

-Ernest Barteldes

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