FEMALE VOICES Miki Purnell: Swingin’ to the Sea, Diane Marino: Loads of Love

Here are a couple more female singers that bring divergent ways of delivering music.

Miki Purnell’s light and flexible voice fronts a band with Tamir Hendelman/Dave MacKay/p, Bob Magnusson/b, Kevin Koch/dr, Lori Bell/fl, Joey Carano/g and Tomy Aros/perc on a collection of post modern jazz. She wrote a couple of the songs herself, and “Sexy, Sexy” is a sly little smooth jazzer. Most intriguing is her creative treatment of Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” and “A Night In Tunisia” that shows an impressive range. She can go deep into vulnerability as well, delivering “Estate” with gravitas.

Honey toned Diane Marino stays with the American Songbook for the most part, with a rhythm team of Chris Brown/dr, Frank Marino/b, and  Pat Bergeson/g along with Ms Marino accompanying herself on piano. Even better, Houston Person brings his foggy tenor into the studio and delivers warm obbligatos and solos on material lke “Get Out of Town” and “I See Your Face Before Me.” Marino has an exceptional ability to enunciate a lyric clearly, and her timing fits that of a piano player, making the note hit just the right   place for the most swinging effect.

Sweet and Lovely Music

www.mikipurnell.com

M&M Records

www.dianemarino.com

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