Singers in creative modes…
Tenor singer Erik Leuthauser is recorded in concert at the A-Trane Jazzclub, Berlin with pianist and arranger Wolfgang Kohler on this sensitive collection of mostly duets. Judy Niemack joins in on a rich and upbeat take of “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” and a cozy “It’s Nice Weather For Ducks” but besides that we’ve got super relaxed reads of “I Like You, You’re Nice” and hep “It Isn’t So Good It Couldn’t Get Better”. He’s assured and assuring on “Oh, You Crazy Moon” and is thoughtful for ballads like “When I Look In Your Eye”. Calm and collected collection of cool.
Miles Griffith and Gretchen Parlato are included on this mix of modern opera and musical play by Andy Bragen and reedist John Ellis. The rich string quartet augments floating horns, percussion and vibes by Daniel Sadownick, Daniel Freedman and Chris Dingman with Mike Moreno’s guitars adding extra direction. Griffith tells rich voiced artsy stories with genteel guitar and rhythm as the strings supply the drapery on “Graveyard Visit” and “Heaven Or Hell”. Parlato is dreamy teamed with Ellis’ bass clarinet during Melusina’s Siren Song” and wisps to the kind of klezmer “Entomed In Ice” . The two parlay on the circusy “She Shows Her Face” with some wonderfully quirky segues. How does it play out in person?