Here’s a fresh sounding and hip vocal group consisting of Ginny Carr/alt, Robert McBride/ten, Holly Shockey/sop and Andre’ Enceneat/bas. They team up with the king of Alto Madness, Richie Cole, and his bopping band of Frank Russo/dr, Max Murray/b, Alan Blackman/p and Steve Herberman/g. The tunes are all cleverly arranged, with Carr and McBride doing the most of the leads, but the whole vocal team weaving in and out like cast members of an Agatha Christie play.
The team shows fun and swinging harmonics on the high stepping “Now I Have Everything But You” and the dreamy “DC Farewell” as well as hip unison with a full horn section on “He Was The Cat,” a tribute to Eddie Jefferson. McBride and company do some clever wordless rhythmic vocals on “Bossa Nova Eyes” while Carr gives a star struck vibrato with guitar and piano on “So You’re Gone.” She also does a nice blues boogie with Herberman on “I Got Friends” while highlights the disc with Cole as the two go hand in hand on a lovely and rich “Pure Imagination.” The closing take of the”I Love Lucy” theme song is a gas of a way to close this winning section; for fans of vocals or jazz for the pure sound of it.
House Kat Records