CARLA WHITE
The Sweetest Sounds
DIW
422


JULIE KELLY
Into The Light
Chase Music



BARBARA MONTGOMERY
Dakini Land
Two Beans Music

These discs feature up-and-coming jazz vocalists who record for independent labels. The musicianship and production values on each of these releases are of the highest caliber, and though jazz vocals aren't my particular cup'o'soup, I can imagine that a lot of you out there in www-land could well enjoy them.

On Dakini Land, the Philadelphia-based singer Barbara Montgomery focuses her attention on the work of pianist / composer Chick Corea. Six of the CD's ten tracks are Corea compositions, and two of Montgomery's three originals (written with pianist Barry Sames) are inspired by Corea's work. Not a bad idea! "500 Miles High" is taken a bit slower than I'm accustomed to hearing, and the focus is as much on a trumpet duel / duet between Terrell Stafford and Bob Meashey as it is on Montgomery's voice. By contrast, "What Game Shall We Play Today," "You're Everything," and "Sometime Ago" don't stray too far from the originals. Each gets a spirited treatment, thanks primarily to violinist John Blake and tenor saxophonist Chris Farr. Montgomery doesn't try to sing them like Flora Purim did. This is fortunate, because she is a completely different sort of singer: her voice is lower, and her vocal range is rather restricted (compared to Purim's, that is). Montgomery eschews scat-singing entirely, preferring to interpret lyrics more like a pop or torch singer. Not surprisingly, ballads are her forte. Her reading of Corea's "Crystal Silence," for example, is a thing of beauty. On the minus side, Montgomery sounds completely out of her element singing the blues ("Miles To Go") and uptempo straight-ahead jazz ("High Wire"). Though the personnel (except Sames) are different on almost every song, the accompaniment is swinging and coherent. Featured soloists Blake and Stafford provide plenty of heat on a few tracks, and saxophonist Farr and trumpeter Meashey aren't bad either. I particularly enjoyed the way that electric bassist Chico Huff and drummer Marlon Simon worked together. Dakini Land is a pleasant, easygoing pop-jazz vocal CD, though a bit too whitebread for my tastes.

Carla White, like Barbara Montgomery, possesses a breathy alto voice. White is more a pure jazz singer than Montgomery - she is a capable scat singer, and her innate sense of swing serves her well on uptempo jazz standards (e.g., "This Can't Be Love," "Day In - Day Out," "The Sweetest Sounds"). White can also sing the heck out of a ballad. She proves this on "It's Easy to Remember" and "Bittersweet." Both are illumined by Peter Madsen's restless, searching piano. Her duet with bassist Dean Johnson on "Alone Together" is another highpoint. She gets into a bit of a funky feel for Cole Porter's "Love For Sale", and though her rap is really just a dramatic recitation, White pulls the tune off with plenty of panache. However, I found her somewhat overwrought vocal affectations (another property she shares with Barbara Montgomery) on a few of the less overtly jazzy pieces (e.g., "But I Was Wrong," "I Didn't Know About You") to be a bit off-putting. I can only rave about White's backing band: pianist Peter Madsen, bassist Dean Johnson and drummer Tom Rainey are nothing short of spectacular. Lew Tabackin's grainy, soulful tenor is an added attraction on 3 tracks. "The Sweetest Sounds" was recorded in 1996, and I'm guessing that this is a re-issue, though it's possible that it could have sat on the shelf for 5 years before DIW got around to issuing it. A solid effort, though the disc's greatest assets are the sparkling performances of Peter Madsen, Tom Rainey, and Dean Johnson.

On the surface, Julie Kelley has a lot in common with Carla White: she uses her smooth alto voice to re investigate a brace of largely familiar jazz standards, and she is a respectable scat singer ("A Minor Stroll"). Into the Light also boasts an immensely talented backing band (most notably, pianist Bill Cunliffe and guitarist Larry Koonse), with whom Kelley generously shares the spotlight. However, Julie Kelley is in complete control throughout this fine recording: her voice has an easygoing authority and clarity I found lacking in Montgomery's and White's sets. Kelley's vocals are unforced, natural, and completely unaffected - she puts these songs across by singing them beautifully and expressively, and lets the lyrics take care of themselves without relying on annoying vocal mannerisms or tics. The liner notes mention that Kelley admires the work of Irene Kral - I can hear that, but Kelley's easygoing delivery and clarion voice takes me back a bit further to big-band singers like Anita O'Day. Though there are several show tunes on Into the Light, Kelley is just as convincing on these as she is singing the blues and modern jazz (check the title track - penned by neo-bop trumpeter Brian Lynch). An effective balladeer ("His Eyes - Her Eyes"), Kelley also has a free-flowing sense of swing which serves her well on tracks like "World on a String," "Stroll," and "Hooray for Love." Though all three of these vocal jazz CDs have their strong points, Julie Kelley's Into the Light is the only one that I can recommend unreservedly.

Dave Wayne

Track Listing The Sweetest Sounds: 1. Midnight Sun; 2. This Can't Be Love; 3. It's Easy to Remember; 4. But I Was Wrong; 5. Alone Together; 6. Two Lost Souls; 7. Love for Sale; 8. I Didn't Know About You; 9. Day In - Day Out; 10. Bittersweet; 11. The Sweetest Sounds

Track Listing Into the Light: 1. Love for Sale; 2. Hooray for Love; 3. The Folks Who Live on the Hill; 4. Flor de Luz; 5. Don't Be That Way; 6. Into The Light; 7. Heart's Desire; 8. Sonny's Bounce; 9. Kisses; 10. I've Got The World on a String; 11. His Eyes, Her Eyes; 12. They Say It's Spring

Track Listing Dakini Land: 1. What Game Shall We Play Today; 2. The Reason Why; 3. Miles To Go; 4. Crystal Silence; 5. Carousel; 6. High Wire; 7. 500 Miles High; 8. You're
Everything; 9. Like A Lover, 10. Sometime Ago

Personnel The Sweetest Sounds: White, voice; Lew Tabackin, tenor saxophone (1,2,8); Peter Madsen, piano (all except 5); Dean Johnson, bass (all tracks); Tom Rainey, drums (all except 5, 10); Steve Berrios, percussion (1,4,7,9)

Personnel Into the Light: Kelly - voice; Bill Cunliffe, piano (all except 12); Tom Warrington, bass (all except 3,5,7,11); Joe LaBarbara, drums (all except 3,5,7,11); Larry Koonse, guitar (8,9,12); Jeff Clayton, tenor saxophone (8); Brad Dutz, percussion (4,6,9); Holly Hoffman, flute (4,12); Jody Burnett, cello (3)

Personnel Dakini Land: Montgmery, vocals; John Blake, violin (2,10); Tyrone Brown, bass (6,7); Father John D'Amico, piano (1); Kenny Davis, electric bass (3); Craig Ebner, guitar (4,6); Chris Farr, tenor saxophone (1-3,8); Glenn Ferracone, drums (3); Doc Gibbs, percussion (1,2,4,7-10); Chico Huff, electric bass (1,2,8,10); Gregory McDonald, drums (3-7,9); Bob Meashey, trumpet, flugelhorn (5,7); Barry Sames, piano and Fender Rhodes (2-10); Marlon Simon, drums (1,2,8,10); Lee Smith, acoustic bass (4,5,9); Terrell Stafford, trumpet, flugelhorn (3,6,7,9)