If cool-toned voices in the vein of June Christy, Anita O’Day and Chris Connor are your thing, you are set for a series of discs made for your ears, as Fresh Sound Records has uncovered a cache of ladies that were under-recorded, under-appreciated and under-exposed during their time, but have been brought back into the light to be re-evaluated. Each singer is surrounded by some top notch jazz artists and arrangers, with names like Bill Evans and Gil Evans just for starters to whet your palate. Put on your seat belts for this ride!
The first disc teams Wanda Stafford’s 1960 In Love For the Very First Time with Patricia Scot’s Once Around the Clock. Stafford’s delivery is an earthier take than Chris Conner, teaming well on a 1960 session with Bill Russo’s band that includes Don Sebesky/tb, Bill Evans/p, Ed Shaughnesy/dr and Howard Collins/g in various formats. The larger ensembles include some rich woodwinds for “Hooray For Love” and a hiply muted At Long Last Love.” She’s finger snapping sleek in a quintet format with Evans on Come By Sunday” and an inviting “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
Patricia Scot fronts an orchestra conducted by Creed Taylor for an NYC 1959 recording that includes Jimmy Cleveland/tb, Phil Woods/as, Jerome Richardson/fl-ts, Milt Hinton/b and Don Lamond/dr among others. She’s oozy with Woods on “Do It Again” and desultory during “Nothing At All.” The big band is bold as Scot is urgent on “Just Once Around the Clock” and inviting with Joe Venuto’s vibes for “Where Are You” and standing by the lamppost for the noir “Mad About the Boy.” Who let these ladies off the leash?
Marcy Lutes’ 1957 Debut boasts orchestras directed by Ralph Burns and Gil Evans, thank you. This impressive session features Shorty Baker/tp, Cleveland, Herbie Mann/fl, Al Cohn/ts, Zoot Sims/ts and Osie Johnson/dr among others. Evans’ sleek arrangements well frame Lutes’ clean tone on “Cheek to Cheek” while the muted horns make vo-cool heaven on “Travelin’ Light.” With Burns at the baton, the woodwinds are rich on “I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good” while Marion Evans’ charts add harp for a rich aria on “Make the Man Love Me.”
Patty McGovern’s 1956 Wednesday’s Child features her Anita O’day toned voce in a rich warble with and band that includes Jerry Sanfino’s flute and Barry Galbraith’s guitar on “Alone Together” and a peppy “Will You Still Be Mine.”McGovern is dreamy on “Crazy He Calls Me” and impressionistic with Joe Wilder’s trumpet during “I Like Snow.” These ladies are really going to surprise you.
The third disc starts off with Dori Howard (who looks a lot like the current artist Pink) in a 1959 recording with a pair of hip tems lead by Don Eliott on mellophone, trumpet and vibes or Eddie Costa/p-vb-org, with Mundell Lowe/g, Milt Hinton/b and Osie Johnson/dr. The exotic and modern sounds work well for Howard on an exciting “The Moon Was Yellow” and she’s sassy as all get out on “Here I Am In Love Again.” She’s warm and subtoned for “My One and Only Love” and pairs well with Lowe for a gorgeous “How Long Has This Been Going On” and “Mood Indigo.”
Janet Brace brings her Chris Conner’d voice to a 1956 NYC event, again lead by Don Elliott’s Quintet, and she’s rich and clear on “Time After Time” and does a gorgeous wordless intro to “Skylark.” She bounces to Elliott’s vibes on “It Could Happen To You” and is reflective with pianist Bob Corwin on the obscure “I’m a Person Too” whereas she’s easy and bluesy for a muted “Easy Street.”
For all three albums, there are excellent liner notes to provide the background for each lady, explaining the paths and projection of their short careers. Albums like these make you wonder why certain vocalists “make it” and others have to wait half a century to finally be appreciated. You won’t be disappointed by these discoveries.