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Tierney
Sutton - Dancing In The Dark (Telarc)
It’s a good thing my wife got home when she did. But more on that in a minute. Tierney Sutton’s “Dancing in the Dark” was waiting on the doorstep in its Amazon box today. I brought it in, put it in the machine, sat on the couch…and began remembering every love affair, every very good night… And every bad night, too. This is more than a trip down memory lane. “Dancing in the Dark” calls itself “inspired by the music of Frank Sinatra.” And these are Sinatra tunes, all right. But aside from the surprisingly whimsical “Fly Me to the Moon,” these are thoughtful, soulful, introspective treatments of Sinatra’s ballads. The start was a little rocky – the backing trio’s treatment of “What’ll I Do?” is a little odd and monotonous. But that one opens up about halfway through, and it’s immediately clear that these are a group of musicians who are not only comfortable with each other, but are a well-oiled machine. I mean, every part fits, even amidst the rocky start. All Music Guide calls Ms. Sutton “a fixture in the [Los Angeles] jazz scene.” She first got my attention when 2001’s “Blue in Green” jumped out at me while I was looking for a disc by Swing Out Sister. I’m a sucker for standards. As good as the backing trio is, I could listen to Ms. Sutton sing a cappella. Her voice is that pure, and usually strong. But this isn’t an album of strong vocals. This is an album of strong emotion, dark corners, and something different, at least in my experience listening to Ms. Sutton. Now - back to my wife. It was good that she came in just as the reverie broke with “Fly Me to the Moon.” You just don’t want to sit around by yourself listening to (and remembering) this stuff too long. That one – “Fly Me to the Moon” – is the hit of the disc to my old top-forty radio tin ears, always in search of the best cut on the disc. “All The Way” is another standout cut. Ms. Tierney and friends (Christian Jacob on piano – and conducting, Trey Henry on bass, Ray Brinker on Drums) did okay by Frank. I’ll be listening to this one a lot in the coming days. Maybe not for too long alone, though.
- Doug Boynton |
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