Music Review: Viral Social Media STARR Also Sings On Her New Self-Titled Album DARA STARR TUCKER

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby’s CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week’s album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from popular online social media commentator Dara Starr Tucker who, earlier this month, released her 6th album, self titled DARA STARR TUCKER. That’s right, the beautiful lady who makes us laugh with her southern sendups of family life (based on her own religious upbringing in a family of globe-trotting church troopers) and, then, makes us think, when she gives us THE BREAKDOWN, has 6 music albums out there... and if this eponymous album is any indication, we should focus our listeners on her music, as much as we do on her Toks. Tucker's laser-sharp intellect takes out TikTok Time to educate and inform us all (but mostly white America) about the real stories vs. what history says (all from a black woman’s perspective on that history), the fight for equality, and the struggle for unity in this country. With ever-growing audiences across the platforms as a social media commentator on race, cultural equity, music, and film, Dara’s videos are treats of knowledge and entertainment presented with either PBS-style infotainment finesse, or laugh-out-loud SNL sketch comedy. All of that aside, though, what DST really is, is a singer/songwriter of jazz, baby. This newest album was recorded by GRAMMY-winning engineer Mike Marciano, produced by Greg Bryant, and distributed by Green Hill Music, earlier this month. Expertly supporting Dara on this album are pianists Aaron Parks, Mike King, and James Hurt, bassists Vicente Archer and Greg Bryant, and drummer Marcus Finnie. TBH, my dearlings, Bobby’s intro to La Starr was through her TikyToks, since we make it a point to watch her nifty content, daily, to stay informed and educated, and we have been impressed by her teachings and her knowledge of history, music, film, and the stories of all us marginalized peoples from the color, gender, and sexuality spectrums. She is a for-real ally and presents facts and true history in ways that illuminate and enliven all BUT this is our first-ever foray into her music, so we arrive here with fresh rainbow ears.
 

Amongst the 12 cuts on DARA STARR TUCKER are 6 songs she has penned herself, mixed in with music from the likes of Bill Withers, Billie Eilish, Kurt Weill, and even John Denver. After two listenie-loos on this one, Bobby is mightily impressed with Dara’s music, both with her compositions and her interpretations, but it is her voice that is the reason to buy this album. A smooth easy-to-listen-to sound that possesses the same tonal qualities of her speaking voice - liquid-smooth and, for lack of a better term, comforting. She is not putting out the zip, bam, pow, scat-heavy virtuosity often designed to show musical dexterity, as well as style, since she is more interested in the stories contained in the lyrics, married to the jazz tone poems of her music, or in the arrangements of music by the others - for example… SCARS - one of her own songs employing that very liquid voice we spoke of - is perfect for smooth Jazz. Her back-and-forth duet with the clarinet is compelling and delightful all at once. The lyrics tell of the pain we can’t hold on to, if we are to move forward. “Let the tears come to wash it away,” she tells us, as the way to freedom. FALLING - another of her compositions - employs some complicated syncopated rhythms and diminished chords that leave you a little off-balance. Her rich voice swings in and out of improv instrumental breaks, as though she is part of the improv. The message here is layered, and we don’t know how she does this one, as it is an emotionally demanding and compelling song, but her voice stays pure, and the story, clear. We really enjoyed IF YOU ASKED ME TO, where Dara sings in a richer vocal tone than the previous 4 cuts. It’s Jazz but with pop overtones - a Dionne-style influence that is very 70s and fun.

The two surprises of DST are TRY TO REMEMBER from THE FANTASTICKS and the traditional roots-gospel hymn JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE. For the classic Musical Theatre Ballad, Dara goes sans any real jazz stylings but stays in her unmistakably Jazz singer tones. This is a strange but beautiful flower in this garden. with just a few alternate notes in the chords. at the break and in the final verse. that are nice surprises. For the hymn, we go to a New Orleans Jazz club. where her rendition of this old-time gospel canticle harkens to Dara’s Pentecostal upbringing, but the NOLA stylings make it a joyful noise. The Soprano Sax & Trumpet Licks brighten up this old chestnut, while Dara gospel/pops it out, vocally, and has fun with it, before she ends on a reprise of SCARS, mashed up with FREEDOM (SCARS~FREEDOM). With this slower, more mournful-sounding arrangement, she brings us back but begs us all to remember the stories and of how far we have to go toward that great day of equality and equity.

In short, dear Bobby readers, we loved this album, DARA STARR TUCKER, and find it as essential as the lady's informative, and entertaining, and knowledgeable, and hilarious Social Media content, and hope that you will all put this one in your streams - whether you are a lover of jazz or NOT - and to give Dara a listen to, of everything that comes out of her mouth, because this album gets…

5 Out Of 5 Rainbows

EXCITING NEWS!!! Dara has a couple of east coast album release gigs we can all get tickets for…

June 25th - South, In Philadelphia 630 & 830pm Performances, Book: HERE

And

September 11th – Dizzy’s, New York, New York - Book Your Tickets: HERE

Dara’s LinkTree Is: HERE

And You Can Get Her Album On The Amazons: HERE

Social Media:

TikTok: @darastarrtucker

Instagram: @daratuckerb

Facebook: facebook.com/daratucker

Website: darastarrtucker.co

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