Singers with moods…
Jazz vet Barbara Morrison is in vintage form on this album with LA cats Stuart Elster/p, Richard Simon/b and Lee Spath along with tenor titan Houston Person for a collection of hip standards. She puts extra swing into pieces like an enthusiastic “Perdido” and even adds some pep to “September in the Rain” while growling with soul on “Work Song.” Person is at his smoky best as he saunters with Morrison on “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and struts on “Shiny Stockings.” Morrison is all heart on her solo intro to a riveting “I’ll Close My Eyes” and eager to please on “Make Me A Present of You.” Still able to deliver the goods.
Gabrielle Stravelli has an indie-styled voice, and uses it in a wide and impressive collection here of mostly originals with a flexible team of David Cook-Art Hirahara/p-key, Pat O’Leary/b, Eric Halvorson/dr, Scott Robinson/reed-brass, Saul Rubin/g and guest vocalist Kenny Washington. Her delivery can be hard bop Monkish as on her own “Bicycle Blues” as well as on the whimsical “Didn’t You Tell Me.” She does some impressive vocal gymnastics with percussive results on “Prism” while getting dreamy and almost subliminal on her own “More.” She sounds a bit twisted on her “Cake of My Childhood” and sensuously Brazilian on “Now I Know.” Lots to be impressed about here. Any trips to So Cal?
Kellye Gray sings songs in the hue of her name on her deliver of nine tunes from Desolation Boulevard. The team of Pamela York/p, David Craig/b, Sebastian Whittaker/dr, Warren Sneed/ts and Andre Hayward/tb are adept at creating sepia moods throughout, with Gray languid and regretful on “How Insensitive” and resigned on “Good Morning Heartache” and “Don’t Explain.” She keeps her range in the low and inside part of the strike zone, with rich agonies on “I’ve Got a Right to Sing the Blues.” An accompanying album from 1989 with Sneed, Whittaker and other artists has her doing many of the same tunes as well as a pre-suicidal hotline read of “Good Morning Heartache.” Great for an evening when you “‘vant to be alooone.”