Today’s Jazz single is one about a forbidden love, and how a lover’s eye, and heart, can end up justifying terrible things for the sake of one of the strongest and purest emotions that we, as humans, are capable of… it helps that the arrangement, harmony, vibes, and performances are all pristine, beautiful, and sensual.
Manny Wilde is a Venezuelan-born singer and songwriter who is based in Los Angeles, and while rare, the Jazz scene indeed seems to bustle elsewhere other than New York. Manny’s ‘My True Love’s Eye’ is a tale about loving a married person, and how the heart will helplessly glance over all the glaring red flags in such a situation, risking ruining a home, and potentially a family, the protagonist is hopelessly infatuated and takes this as an excuse for his selfishness.
Hopefully, not a biographical piece of music, My True Love’s Eye is West Coast Noir Jazz in its simplest and purest form, starting from the drop-dead gorgeous harmony, carried over by a sparkling grand piano, and a commanding and grand upright bass, playing only the most appropriate of notes. There’s no hint of doubt that the rhythm and harmony are delivered with flawless, classical opulence; an effortless, gentle breeze of graceful jazz. The swooning strings are also an aesthetic that helps make this piece one quintessentially traditional noir jazz song. Serene, sometimes adding drama, but mostly understated and romantic, the strings are wonderfully arranged and are a perfect accompaniment to Manny Wilde’s easygoing and effortless vocal delivery.
By the end of this piece, you will readily begin to forgive the selfishness of the protagonist in his doomed, or dooming affair, because of the stark gentleness, beauty, and sheer, passionate soul of this piece of music. A traditional cut that displays exactly why this style of music remains timeless and is continually enjoyed, admired, and thankfully, practiced.