UK based Pally Gibbons shows her singing, composing and interpreting skills on this strong album of standards and originals. She’s got a husky, but flexible voice, completely comfortable in R&B-sh gospel tunes like “Sack Full of Dreams” and “Dr. Feelgood” as well as sleek jazzers with guitarist Graham Dechter on “The Ability to Swing.” The horn section has some of LA’s finest with Bob McChesney/tb, Andy Martin/tb, Bob Sheppard/ww, Brain Scanlon/ww and Tom Peterson/sax making up part of the big band along with an air tight rhythm team of Tamir Hendelman/p, Kevin Axt/b and Ray Brinker/dr snapping up tunes lie the Crescent City groover “You Can’t Just” and delivering a saucy frame for Gibbons on the swaggering “Basin City Blues.” Gibbons is able to go dramatic as on “Wild Is The Wind” and bounce with the upbeat “Wrap Your Troubles” and get dreamy with the flutes on “Pure Imagination.” She sounds like she knows how to work a room!
Resonance Records