Just when you thought you had heard every songbook, here comes one featuring the more obscure Irene HIgginbotham (1918-88). She’s best known for her tune “Good Morning, Heartache” that Billie Holiday made into a classic, but that isn’t enough for vocalist Christy Bennet, who digs deeper into Higginbotham’s catalogue with Don Stille/acc, Art Davis/tp, Jule Wood/sax, Don Stiernberg/mand and Christian Dillingham/b.
Bennett has a strong and clear voice, and most of the time keeps the mood in the early 20th Century, with growling trumpets, two step beats and earthy blue tones. There’s a vaudevillian feel to “No Good Man” and a fun swing on “It Must Be You”. She agonizes with Stille on “This Will Make You Laugh”, and is strong on her intro to “I’ve Got To Change My Ways”. Dillingham throbs on a cozy “Hello, Suzane” and bows intimately with Steirnberg during the famed title tune. There are modern moments, such as “Ive Got To Change My Ways” and the team strolls through “Indiana Blues”. More than mere nostalgia, a journey into a musically creative mind.