Daryl Sherman (pno/vcl); Jesse Boyd (bs); Tom Fischer (clt/ten); Banu Gibson (guest vcl).
Having spent 15 years playing Cole Porter's actual Steinway in the Cocktail Terrace of New York's Waldorf-Astoria there can be few of today's songbirds more suited to interpreting the music and lyrics of Cole Porter than Daryl Sherman.
And yet this isn't just another Songbook re-working of the fond and familiar. Recorded with New Orleans musicians in the Crescent City we get a happy mix of the known and the unknown and although Let's Do It falls into the former category the singers choice of some of the less hackneyed lines in this list song give it an unexpected freshness e.g. Penguins in flocks, on the rocks, do it/Even little cuckoos in their clocks, do it...
The unknowns (to me) include Ours, Tale of the Oyster, By The Mississinewah, Mississippi Belle each given Daryl's unique take both as vocalist and pianist. She has an engaging way of stretching a word, giving it an almost dialectic inflection that leaves the listener in no doubt as to whom they are hearing.
The piano playing allows space when space is needed and feeds the chords when the chords need feeding whilst her solos in between vocals on Get Out of Town, Where Have You Been?, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and From This Moment On rubber stamp her instrumental credentials.
In the absence of a drummer much responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the bassist and Jesse Boyd comes through flying - check out the Night and Day voice/bass intro to You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To.
Tom Fischer blows clarinet like BG on Rosalie, Mississippi Belle, Millionaire, Where Have You Been and has moments on tenor on, among others, Get Out of Town and Looking at You (first heard this by Lee Wiley).
If you have been lucky enough to catch Daryl Sherman live then this CD will remind you of her class. If you haven't yet caught the lady live then the CD becomes a must!
Lance.
DARYL SHERMAN Mississippi Belle:Cole Porter in the Quarter. Audiophile ACD - 342.
1 comment :
Daryl sang with Artie Shaw's last band and a biography of Artie by Tom Nolan is now in South Shields' Library (at least it will be when I return it!)
Artie Shaw, King of the Clarinet: his life and times. Tom Nolan.
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