Female vocalists…without them most musicians would be out of work. They are the visual and auditory draw for 90% of jazz fans. How a lyric is delivered influences not only scores of other singers, but musicians as well. Here, vocalists from scores of years and of the same generation show their influence on these two recent releases, both excellent in their own right.
Ranee Lee has a well trained voice that has as clear an enunciation of a lyric that you’ll ever imagine. That, combined with a vibrato wide enough to park your Toyota Highlander in, makes for some soulful interpretations of the Billie Holiday Songbook. With deft support from Oliver Jones/p, Milt Hinton/b, Richard Beaudet/fl-sax, Richard Ring/g and Archie Alleyne/g, Lee displays sauntering charm on matrial like “When A Woman Loves A Man” and a jaunty confidence on “Somebody’s On My Mind” on this 1989 session. Her intimate encounters with Hinton on “Don’t Explain,” Jones on “Easy Livin’” and Ring on “Strange Fruit” display an attractive confidence, while her ability to hold a note as on “Crazy He Calls Me” draws you into each syllable.
Recorded on stage during a couple gigs from 2009-2011, vocalist Halie Loren teams up with Matt Treder/key, Mark Schneider/b, Tim McLaughlin/tp and Brian West/dr for a wide ranging collection of material. Loren’s vocal delivery and tone hint at a Norah Jones influence, with a bit of an earthy growl jumping out like a prairie dog at times. Her selection of material is quite intriguing, going from vaudevillian sounding tunes like The Kinks’ “Lazy Afternoon” to the after hours mood of “They Oughta Write A Song.” She slowly undulates during “Summertime” and drips like morning dew on “Cry Me A River.” A take of “Ipanema” includes some charming trumpet work, while an intriguing reading of U2’s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” includes impressive piano musings. Well delivered.