Collections

In 2001, January Christy compiled this album and had it released finally after years of vacuum. Furthermore she barely managed to produce any other album up to this day. Comprising almost entirely her previous wonder hits except only two new songs at the time release, Collections merely forms an audible biography of January’s decades of remarkable productivity in the country’s jazz industry. Notwithstanding, January has all it requires to be an outstanding jazz singer. She has deep vocal color, yet easy to grasp. She has found the best form of her pricey voice. Knowing this, she performs great pitch stability in every song she undertakes. To some it can cause a backfire, in that the listeners are more likely to get bored. But to others who would think otherwise, actually that is the selling point of January’s strength. 

The album consists of selected songs taken from her previous albums within different year, including another year’s gap between each album. To sum up, it has been a decade since January sings jazz, and her voice has never been different even an inch. Take a look of Putra Sang Fajar, newly first track which is dated similarly with the year the album is released. And then compare it with the following track two, Melayang, the one that has made her way into one of indispensable 1980s female jazz singers in Indonesia. I can hardly differentiate the two vocal characteristics, as if both of them are recorded in the same year. The latter has an extremely slow chord progression. In contrast, Melayang has a much fast beat modern jazz style. The song has never lost its resonance; therefore no wonder January puts it on the second queue. However, the decision to place Putra Sang Fajar as an opening song seems to me as a desperate effort only to introduce one of her two new songs. 

A classical type is always alluring, just like in Menggapai Bahagia. As the trumpet breaks off, this everlasting song starts a slow pace, yet very relaxing in the way. It puts us to sleep with its dreamy lyric about what would it feel to reach happiness, but in a couple of seconds it wakes us up, as the song ends with a phrase, “melangkah dengan pasti, dan percaya diri.” January really gives a positive energy through her voice, added by a substantial effect of the music and lyric. The next song is Tertawalah, the other one of the new songs in this album. I am afraid that for the second time I am quite disappointed with the new songs, for the two are poor in chord and line of melody, though the jazz nuance remains dominant. The next song that should have been praised is Kepastian, another song that fluorishes January’s career. 

As I have mentioned earlier, this album illuminates more the memorable path of the singer, rather than presenting something new. For those who has not heard of her quality in their lives, this album is worth buying. In opposite, those who has admired January long before Collections hits the market do not have to own the album. They could hardly notice the impact of the only two new songs.