Here are three ladies with various approaches to song and mood.–
Dawn Clement both sings and plays a Monk styled piano on this post-bop session with a rotating team of Matt Wilson/dr, Michael Glynn/b, Julian Priester/tb, Jonaye Kendrick/voc-harm, and Mark Wilson/as. She gets nice and quirky with Priester on “Blues for Wayne” and a free form “Improvisation #3” while Taylor’s sax gets angular on “Ablution.” As far as vocal prowess goes, she gets loungy and dreamy with Kenrick on “I Think of You” and ethereal on “Sugar Cliff.” Wide prismatic color palate.
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Margo Rey sings in English, Spanish and Portuguese while delivering Salsa, Latin and Brazilian versions of jazz standards and beyond. With Oscar Hernandez/p, Jimmy Brandly/dr, Rene Camacho/b, Ramon Stagnano/g-tre, Justo Almario/fl-ss and Joe De Leon/per, she gets clever in producing Afro Cuban takes of “Angel Eyes” and “Speak Low” while simmering like a coffee pot on an assertive “You Don’t Know What Love Is”. She saunters with seduction on “This Masquerade” and gets folksy with Stagnano’s tres on “Chan Chan.” Her voice varies between Norah Jones restraint and earthy Latin defiance. Got to see this one in concert!
Wisp-toned vocalist Stacey Schulman does mostly duos with Alan on this cozy collection of standards. The team knows how to swing like gypsies as on “In the Name of Love” while the two get bluesy with harmonica player Gregoire Maret on “It Ain’t Necessarily Too Late For Love” and “Willow Weep For Me.” Alan on his axe is able to strum out some nice grooves as well as pick out clever melodies and musical frames, creating a nice drapery on “ When October Goes” and “Here’s To Life” while getting soulful on Stevie Wonder’s funky “Street Life.” Saxist David Binney adds some extra improve for “Save Your Love For Me” as well, keeping the moods flexible.