Clear-voiced Joanne Tatham teams up with some of LA’s finest in Max Haymer/p, Lyman Medeiros/b, Larry Koonse-Marcel Camargo/, Bob Sheppard/sax, Brian Swartz/tp, Kevin Winard/perc and Dan Schnelle/dr on a mix of jazz standards and creative newer pieces. She’s warm and peppy with guitar and percussion on the bouncy “Jazz ‘n’ Samba” and is rich with Shepperd’s tenor on “It Could Happen to You.” Some clever ideas come about as she takes on Michael Frank’s “Summer in New York” with Koonse” and goes intimate with Haymer on Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man.” Best of all is her going urgent on Mark Winkler’s hip “Catch Me If You Can” and gets cozy on Sondheim’s “Anyone Can Whistle.” Eager to please.
A cozy duo is created as Kate Voss sings and plays melodica and bells to Jason Goessl’s guitar and chimes. They are accompanied by Adrian Van Batenburg-Sam Esecson/dr-perc, sounding like vintage Les Paul and Mary Ford on swinging pieces like “Anytime” and “S’Wonderful” while Goessl gives hints of Dick Dale on the 60s groover “Bang Bang.” Voss and melodica bring a gypsy atmosphere to “Caravan” abd us cgukdkuje on “Bye Bye Blues” while sauntering on”Perhaps” and cozy as a kitten during “When You’re Smiling.” Winning ways!
Pianist/vocalist Pauline Frechette creates a moody parlor atmosphere with a mix of cellos and violins along with bass, tenor sax and guest Stanley Clarke on this intimate collection. Her voice is fragile an ddelicate, getting eerie on “Come Away With Me” and deeply melancholic on “Follow Your Heart.” Clarke’s solo adds to a bohemian “Love in the Afternoon” while her instrumentals include a reflective Stewart Cole’s trumpet on a second “Follow My Heart” while her own piano serves well on “Song for Michael.” Long moon shadows.