People sing for various reasons. Is imitation a possible choice?
Yuka Mito has a warm voice on this album of standards with Hiroki Morioka/p, Iwao Masuhara/b and Yoshifumi Nihomatsu/dr. The problem is that her accent is so rounded that her enunciation detracts from the English lyrics, so “ Too Darn Hot” is luke warm and “ How High The Moon” is in gibbous formation. Maybe because I don’t speak Portuguese, but when she sings in that language for “Agua De Beber” and “Corcovado”, her soft tone works best. Karoake lost in translation?
Doug Ferony tries to become a Rat Packer on this album of jazz standards, and while the band at times has a Nelson Riddle feel as on”We’ve Only Just Begun” and the title piece, the kitschy vocals make the session feel more like the last hour of a Bar Mitzvah. There’s a nice Basie feel to “ You Make Me Feel So Young” and Ferony is clear on his delivery, but the feel is leaning on nostalgia than art.