Album · 2012

Ice in the Glass

A first round of after-hours hotel-bar stories, sung slow over vibraphone and brushes.

Tracks

1. The Elevator Man at the Grand MarloweA little brass-gate bounce to open the door on the Grand Marlowe. I wanted you to meet the elevator man before you met anyone else.lounge jazz, vibraphone pop2:44
2. Night Nurse on the Fourth FloorWritten for the people who keep watch while the rest of us sleep. Theo played it so softly I leaned in to hear him.torch ballad, chamber jazz4:35
3. Vibraphone HoursThis one is the quartet in a nutshell: candles, stacked chairs, and a vibraphone that doesn't want to stop. We named the band's sound after it, more or less.vibraphone lounge, cool jazz3:23
4. Taxi Stand on Marigold StreetOne cab, two people, and a drizzle that did most of the flirting. I just sang along and kept a straight face.lounge pop, swing4:05
5. Last Bus Is a Slow BoatThe last bus really does arrive like a slow boat when you're tired and happy. We let the tempo drift the way the bus did.late-night jazz, cool jazz3:42
6. Cufflinks on the NightstandSilver moons from a long-ago spring, left on a nightstand. A small object, and a lot to carry in a song.nostalgic jazz, vocal jazz3:40
7. Streetcar Named GoodnightThe platform is empty and a newspaper is the only one still travelling. It's about the loneliness of good transport at the end of the day.west coast jazz, torch jazz4:05
8. Ten Minutes to Closing, Mr. AlvarezEveryone has met a Mr. Alvarez, the man who stays until the last light. Warm and a little cheeky, like him.lounge jazz, swing pop4:10
9. Lost Umbrella DepartmentA hundred umbrellas and no owners. I find that funnier and sadder every time I sing it.playful jazz, vocal jazz3:28
10. Hotel Bar, Last OliveThe bartender, the glass and the last olive, written in the bar where it all started. It's as close to a theme song as we have.hotel bar jazz, crooner jazz4:10
11. Radio Tower LullabyA red light on the hill keeping time with a slow heartbeat. I imagined singing it to the one person still awake.dream jazz, lullaby jazz4:27
12. Pawn Shop SaxophoneA horn in a pawn shop window waiting for somebody to need it. We closed the record with it because it felt like an honest ending.nostalgic jazz, cool jazz3:28

Liner notes

We made this one in the hotel bar where Theo and I first played together, after the last guests had gone up to bed. Nobody was in a hurry, least of all us, and you can hear the room in every take: the ice, the candles, the cleaning cart in the hall. We didn't think anyone would listen, so we sang it the way we'd tell it to a friend across a small table. If it finds you late at night, that's exactly the hour it was made for. - Marcus

Marcus Bell Quartet