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Uptown toned vocalist Nica Carrington gets together with some of LA’s finest on this classy collection of standards, with pianist John Proulx, bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Joe LaBarbera, Carrington displays an alluring vibrato on the easy read of “Left Alone” while is heartfelt on a gentle “Skylark”. Proulx adds to the meditation of “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” and the two go blue on “You Don’t Know What Love Is”. Carrington never overplays her hand, trusting the sounds and styles like a confident cook.
Clear-voiced Judy Whitmore, backed the classy team of Tamir Hendelman/p, Rickey Woodard/ts-as, Alex Frank/b, Dean Koba/dr, Brian Kilgore/perc, Larry Koonse/g, Mike Rocha/tp, Lori Bell/fl and Brian Kilgore/perc in a mix and match setting, lets the standards glisten in rich and timeless reads. She clearly enunciates with perfect timing on pieces like “It Could Happen to You” and shows rich restraint on “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Evening”. She let’s the lyrics do their job along with Woodard on “Isn’t It Romantic” and shows here shadows well with Rocha on “The Birth of the Blues”. Classic wardrobe that always looks good over time.