OK, let’s get all of the 80s movies and bad jokes out of the way at the very beginning. Yes, it’s THAT Molly Ringworm from the teen movies that permeate all our dna-Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. Get over it! She moved to France back in ’92 (wouldn’t YOU if you were Molly Ringwald?!?), and did some Frog flicks before delving in the theatre. Now she’s doing the jazz chanteuse thing, and ya know what? It’s pretty darned good!
She supported by a flexible team of Clayton Cameron/dr, Allen Mezquida/as, Peter Smith/p and Trevor Ware/b as she goes through a collection of fairly known standards. As with many singers, it seems to help that Ms. Ringwald is an actress, as each song is a bit of a story to play out for the audience in the same sense. Like the best of stage and screen, she doesn’t overplay her part; she sounds relaxed and mature on a cozy “Sooner or Later,” and has impeccable timing with her duet with the dramatic Smith on “I Get Along Without You Very Well.” Bouncing with Ware on “Exactly Like You,” She is cozy and cute, and doesn’t hog the screen, while she lopes along on a fun “I’ll Take Romance.” Thoroughly enjoyable, and no version of “Try A Little Tenderness.” Good call!
Concord Records
www.concordmusicgroup.com