This is the second release I’ve heard from vocalist Gary Brumburgh, and he’s got the perfect mix of modern and vintage still wins me over. He’s sort of a polished read of Jackie Paris, ultra hip and able to go from upbeat and peppy on the upbeat “Ev’rybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere” or the more modal and Trane-ish “Sorry-Grateful”. The album is a collection of not so standards from musicals, deftly arranged by pianist Jamieson Trotter, and teamed with Gabe Davis/b, Christian Euman/dr, Larry Koonse/g, Danny Janklow/ts-as, Scott Whitfield/tb, Ross Garren/harm and Leo Costa/perc.
Both Brumburgh and Whitfield plunge blue and agonizingly low on “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” while Garren pleads with the leader on “ Far From The One I Love”. On the cooler side of the tracks, Koonse and Brumburgh glide through the nifty “Celebration” while Trotter and comes into relax and recline on a sweet “Surry With The Fringe On Top”. Janklow’s alto bops to the hep cat hectic “Happy Talk” and Euman brushes of home plate deftly on the deft “I’m Glad To See You’ve Got a You Want”. Brumburgh shines a warm light into unseen corners of the Songbook Attic.