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Jesse Palter -
Beginning To See The Light (Superstring)
Released: 2006
A belated birthday gift from my old pal, Millie, who used to
push records for Motown - she wrote the note, "This (young woman) is
great - she's only 21, and from Detroit!"
She's right. Ms. Palter is very, very talented. There's nothing
tentative about the way she attacks the music, and she's never afraid to
show off her great range. For the most part, the music swings nicely, in
an almost predictably Detroit funk/electronic way, and we've got all the
requisite touchstone tracks for a young female vocalist - "There Will
Never Be Another You," the title track, along with the Ellington
classic, "I'm Beginning To See The Light."
There are some surprising covers - "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart,"
and a hauntingly beautiful turn on the Cahn/Styne tune, "Some Other
Time."
Millie is right. Ms. Palter has a great voice. She swings when it's
called for - and does a fine job on the ballads, too. The backing
band - Mike Jellick on piano, Ben Williams on bass and Nate Winn on
drums - frame Ms. Palter's voice just right.
The best is last, though. Best track on the disc - and where I think
this young woman's future lies - is in the original, "Lovesick." It's
like someone made her sing all those cover tracks, and then said, "Okay
- this last one you can have fun with."
For me - it's the track that lights up the disc.
I'd love to hear a disc full of originals. They might not all shine like
"Lovesick," but I'd rather hear Ms. Palter and the band take some
chances and come up with new classics, then re-plow the same old ground.
This disc belongs in your library.
Highly recommended.
 Three microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(07/14/07) |
