The 15 all woman big band Diva may have a schtick, but not a gimmick. These ladies pack a punch, as these tracks from Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in NYC and at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh attest. The tunes feature arrangements from Frank Foster and John Clayton to Ellen Rowe and Noriko Ueda, who also lays down the bass lines here. Some fun big band swing is in evidence on the fun “What The World Needs Now Is Love” and the 8 to the bar joy stick on “Blues For Hamp” while Janelle Reichman/ts, Roxy Coss/ts, Jennifer Krupa/tb and Tanya Darby/tp display some nice chops. Nadje Noordhuis’ flugelhorn is full of life on the dramatic “The Very Thought of You” and the brass section gets a workout on the clever read of Chopin’s “Nocturne #6 Opus 9, Number 2.” Things get kicked up a notch when Nancy Wilson glows with the reeds on “All My Tomorrows” and a snapping “All of Me” before Marlena Shaw swaggers in with a finger popping “Blues Medley” and a rich and melancholy “Blackberry Winter with pianist Tomoko Ohno. This kind of music doesn’t need the signature of women to grab your attention. The music holds well on its own.
MCG Jazz Records