Hilary Kole
You Are There
Justin Time Records
www.justin-time.com
By George W. Harris

The only way to objectively review a release by vocalist/arranger Hilary Kole is to imagine if Madelyn O’Hair or Margaret Hamilton is the chanteuse, instead of the stunning and beautifully displaced Ms. Kole, so it takes a lot of work (and 26 years of marriage) to take her objectively. So, having visualized the Wicked Witch of the West performing duets with pianists such as Hank Jones, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron and David Brubeck, I still gotta tell you that this lady is just an unbelievably superb interpreter of lyrics!

Obviously with spare accompaniment, the mood here is mostly late night, lonely and intimate material, and Kole delivers readings of “But Beautiful” (with Jones) and the title track (with Alan Broadbent) with understated yet focused passion. On “Every Time We Say Goodbye” she delivers the lyrics with deep feelings and expression, but never with histrionics, melding with Walton’s ivories like warm fudge on ice cream. She captures the reflection of “These Foolish Things” with Burbeck absolutely perfectly, stretching a word here, bending a note there, in order to emphasize a point. Her tone and delivery mix the guileless charm of Disney’s Belle (From Beauty and The Beast) with the jazz smarts of saloon singer, best displayed on the charming duet with Freddy Cole on “It’s Always You.” Benny Green, Steve Kuhn, Monty Alexander, Mike Renzi and Michel Legrand all take a turn changing partners with the romantic dance partner, and she takes over the dance floor like the queen of the ball. Absolutely riveting music, ten times better than the Julie Christy/Stan Kenton disc years ago, and on a par with the Gambarini/Jones meeting awhile back. Grab it, and find out when she’s coming to town. She was amazing her first time in LA. She sounded great; my wife made me watch the show with a bag over my head!