Bob Mundy (vocal); Dan Kaufman (piano); Peter Slavov (bass); Mark Ferber (drums); Lage Lund (drums); Sean Harkness (guitar); Dominick Farinacci (trumpet); Joel Frahm (tenor);; Sam Sadigursky (tenor/soprano); Keita Ogawa (percussion); Yves Dharamraj (cello).
(Review by Lance).
I've oft-times commented about the number of girl-singers rolling off the conveyer belt to the point where that piece of machinery must be due for a service and safety check. However, the male side of the factory is under less pressure which, perhaps, is why Bob Mundy comes across so relaxed.
Native New Yorker Mundy, born in Queens and raised on Long Island, began as a pianist and it was when he was playing piano for a variety show he was asked to get up and sing.
A pleasing, jazzlike, voice albeit closer to Bennett than Sinatra, Mundy's second album features material that is choice and far from overworked. It's always a delight when you discover a new - to me that is - song from a familiar composer. Loads of Love from 1962 show No Strings (the only show where Rodgers wrote both words and music - Rodgers also picked up a Tony award in the process) is an absolutely lovely tune and Mundy does it justice. There's also some fine blowing from Farinacci on this and throughout.
Joel Frahm blows some burnt toast tenor on Chris Caswell's Getting Beyond Goodbye. Mundy breaks his heart over an amazing range.Two versions of The Good Life - 5.42 and 3.18 - Well sung but too dramatic for me.
But Beautiful: More Farinacci trumpet, muted and the perfect complement to the vocal.
Carpe Diem: Steve Cagan's a new name to me although he's now in his mid-seventies. Sondheim and Bernstein, he says were/are his inspiration. It shows. He's a musical theatre man and Mundy does nothing to change things. Little jazz here but a sound performance anyway.
All You Need to Say is by Nat Adderley with lyric by Chris Caswell which is all you need to say and the jazz returns. Farinacci once again does the business and Kaufman too does a little cookin'.
Chris Caswell provides words and music for No Time For Love and Mundy handles it well aided by Kaufman and Lund. A little scatting.
I've Never Liked You - You smoke and you snore, you've got no money and your friends are a bore etc leading to the punchline, I've never liked you, but I miss you like hell! The album's worth it for this track alone even if its jazz content is minimal - it transgresses genre.
Until (Sting); Love to Me; The Last Night of the Year finish things off.
An ok album.
Buy/sample.
Lance
Carpe Diem: Steve Cagan's a new name to me although he's now in his mid-seventies. Sondheim and Bernstein, he says were/are his inspiration. It shows. He's a musical theatre man and Mundy does nothing to change things. Little jazz here but a sound performance anyway.
All You Need to Say is by Nat Adderley with lyric by Chris Caswell which is all you need to say and the jazz returns. Farinacci once again does the business and Kaufman too does a little cookin'.
Chris Caswell provides words and music for No Time For Love and Mundy handles it well aided by Kaufman and Lund. A little scatting.
I've Never Liked You - You smoke and you snore, you've got no money and your friends are a bore etc leading to the punchline, I've never liked you, but I miss you like hell! The album's worth it for this track alone even if its jazz content is minimal - it transgresses genre.
Until (Sting); Love to Me; The Last Night of the Year finish things off.
An ok album.
Buy/sample.
Lance
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