One of the main reasons why jazz is my personal favorite genre is that once you’re familiar with the Great American Songbook, you basically have a loose blueprint for how each tune’ll turn out. Sure, every rendition is different, but even when chord progressions get lost in genre translation, those classic heads still dazzle. And although streaming numbers tend to determine the “best” version for newcomers, there are countless interpretations out there that cater to tastes across the board.
One of those comes to us today courtesy of Austin duo Deer Fellow. As Deer Fellow, multi-instrumentalist-vocalists Alyssa Kelly and Matt Salois have amassed an impressive herd of fans. Deer Fellow’s 2021 debut EP Words Unsaid introduced us to the pair’s versatility, purposeful production, and evolving breed of intimate indie-folk-pop. Today, they put a timeless Gershwin standard on a new set of hooves. It’s been nearly a hundred years since George & Ira Gershwin first penned “Someone To Watch Over Me”, but thanks to Deer Fellow’s innovative vision, sparse orchestral harmonies, and spacious acoustic mix, there’s enough proof that this torch song still has plenty of fuel left to burn.
June 24, 2022