Women of the word…
Susie Meissner sings with a clear and easy swing on this set of standards with a first class team of Ken Peplowski/cl, Larry McKenna/ts, John Swana/tp-fh-EVI, Paul Meyers/g, John Shaddy/p, Lee Smith/b and Byron Landham/dr. Meissner is excellent at expressing moods, sounding wonderfully regretful as she builds up to “You Go To My Head” and emotive on “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” her work with Meyers gets intimate on “The Shadow of Your Smile” and is heartfelt with Shaddy during “Alfie”. Peps is glorious on clarinet on the gentle “I Wish I Knew” and Swana’s horn waltzes with Meissner on “Hello Young Lovers” and bounces to Landham’s drums with his EVI on the rich “Poinciana”. Classy.
Brazilian vocalist Ceu keeps things in an 80s pop vein with plenty of synth pulses by Herve Salters/key-b, Pupillo/dr-prog and bassist Lucas Martins/b. She duets with Seu Jorge on the percussive “Pardo” while disco moods prevail on the hip-hopping “Forcar O Verao” and “Nada Irreal”. Sometimes, you even think you might be stepping into a video game with synth sounds on “Fenix Do Amor” and the echoey “Rotacao” while you tick tock through “Coreto”. Where’s the cameo by Boy George?
Assured and warm singer Beth Duncan sings material composed by Martine Tabillo, teaming up with musicians Joe Gillman/p, Steve Homan/g, Matt Robinson, Rick Lotter/dr Brian Kendrick/perc, Jacam Manricks/woodwinds and some cameo guests. Joe Mazzaferro adds some hip muted trumpet to the gentle “Serves Me Right”, with Manricks’ tenor soulful on the backbeat of “Breakup Funk”. Duncan shows she can deliver a story, as on the folksy “Your Song’s Passe”” and slinks to the Latin pulse of “The Band”. She can relax on the lazy “It Begins With You” and is peppy for the title track. Nice to hear a lady deliver fresh material for a change.