Saying a cover song “captures the spirit” of its predecessor is like declaring that water is wet, but it stands to reason that cover songs that transform the original into something wholly new often stand the test of time. Take for example Nine Inch Nails “Hurt” which on its own certainly was a hit and an emo legend, but in the hands of Johnny Cash, it became an introspective meditation on the singer’s life and experiences all without changing a single lyric. I bring this up because with the release of Steve Markoff and Patricia Lazzara’s lovely cover of “You Raise Me Up,” they’ve taken what I’d call and overly sentimental schmaltzy ballad and turned it into a powerful, somber but evocative piece with the even more challenging aspect of not retaining any of the song’s lyrics.
URL: https://www.lazzarkoff.com/
When the song begins as with any cover, it’s very easy to sing along or remember the lyrics bouncing along like one of those read along books you read as kids, but with this cover, very quickly you abandon the memories of the lyrics and even past iterations of the song and you’re very quickly transported into the world this song creates, starting with the moving quiet piano played so expertly by Grammy nominee Allison Brewster Franzetti. It’s a genuine feat that should be celebrated that this piece manages to convey so many emotions and their weight with just three instruments.
Markoff and Lazzara’s artistic relationship began when Markoff was a student of Lazzara and from his beautiful fluid impressionistic playing, you can very clearly see why Lazzara chose to form a partnership with him. Lazzara acts as stable grounding for piece apart from Franzetti, as her background as a Carnegie Hall regular allows her razor sharp focus and precision to keep things in check while Markoff’s playful alto flute flutters about, adding some much needed energy to what to me at least has the potential in other iterations to sound not too dissimilar to a church hymn. The track truly reaches its dizzying heights towards the middle whereas Groban’s assaults you towards the end with the orchestra, choir, etc, but by allowing the middle to act as the climax, the ending I feel carries more weight and lingers stronger. It really takes the listener across a multi-faceted journey across the emotional spectrum and whereas the original can feel like an empowering anthem or even a love ballad due to its vague lyrics, this version has a decidedly melancholy approach.
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With each listen it felt less like I was hearing the sounds of passion and a declaration of partnership, but more that of a weariness, or the farewell to someone you’ll always hold onto fondly. There’s no reason one has to assume the person raising someone up has to still be around the performer, it could purely act as in memory as my interpretation of this track gave me. Breathing new life into something that’s existed for a long time can sometimes be a herculean feat, but Markoff and Lazzara have truly crafted something special, raising each other up with their respective talents.
Troy Johnston
The music of Steve Markoff and Patricia Lazzara has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com