More Than A Poem

Elvis Costello’s work with the Jazz Passengers is unique in his career. He collaborates primarily as a vocal artist, contributing just lyrics to one of their several songs together. But unlike his many covers of other artists’ songs, in this case he’s introducing the song to the world. He’s the debut vocalist. 

There’s a deep-seated cynicism in “Wind Walked By,” the debut track from the Jazz Passengers’ 2010 release Reunited, that sounds very much like something EC himself would have written. Maybe that’s why his vocal matches so well to the tune. The voice is as resigned and cynical as the lyrics. 

The song is as soulful and emotive as any pop tune, but its jazz roots show in how songwriters Roy Nathanson and Tim Kiah use abrupt tempo shifts to underscore the song’s themes. Like the wind itself, the music suddenly speeds up as the chorus begins, only to slip back into a more world-weary tempo for the verses. Then the finale delivers a few minutes of tight swing around the simple lyric “And I say, ‘Blow, wind, blow,’” giving saxophonist Nathanson and guitarist Marc Ribot space to launch into increasingly frantic solos. 

Every spare space in the song is occupied by at least one instrumentalist tossing in a riff, usually two or three at the same time, often continuing behind EC’s vocal. That’s often part and parcel of jazz, but it also adds to the desperate nature of the song itself. These are musical phrases lunging for hope itself, as the song travels down the streets of an American city where even the wind can’t survive. 

Listen to “Wind Walked By” on your streaming service of choice.

Had a hell of a time finding this song on YouTube, so enjoy instead this German-language cover which also truly swings.