 |
Sandy Dennison -
Jazzed!
Released - March, 2007
There's a certain...confidence, I think, in having gray hair.
I think I qualify to say that.
Likewise, there's a certain confidence in the work of Ms. Dennison and
her pals on this disc.
It's in everything from Ms. Dennison's phrasing, to the solos each of
the fine musicians in her combo perform.
These ain't kids, folks. And all of that is to say that the meaning that
gets imparted by Ms. Dennison's interpretation of the lyrics comes from
experience. My favorites include "A Wonderful Day Like Today," the
brightly optimistic "On The Street Where You Live," and the ballad,
"Lonely Hours," which features a heart-breaking saxophone solo by David
Evans.
The publicity handout compares her work to Helen Merrill or Chris Conner
from the 50s. Maybe. But Ms. Dennison doesn't really need to be compared
to anyone.
One of the joys of doing this is coming across great regional vocalists
who deserve much larger attention. Ms. Dennison is one of these singers.
Kudos too - to Vincent Frates, an Emmy-winning, Grammy-nominated
composer and pianist.
This disc transcends most of the stuff that finds its way into the
girlsingers.org mailbox. Go listen - it's iTunable. Tell me what you
think.
Highly Recommended.
Three microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(05/19/07) |
