(Review by Ann Alex)
Amber Weekes hails from Los Angeles. Her grandparents lived
in Harlem and they ran a cafe which was frequented by the likes of Duke
Ellington, Diahann Carroll, and Billy Strayhorn. She sang from being a child
and went on to study voice (with no less a legend than Sue Rainey who also joins Amber on the title track) and has performed at many of Los Angeles's top clubs
as well as at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
This fine album includes recognised jazz standards alongside
songs by Anthony Newley, Barry Manilow,
and Paul Simon but I was most delighted to discover songs by a writer who, I’m ashamed
to admit, is new to me, Oscar Brown Jr.
Such great songs, why did I not know about these songs years ago?
The Snake is a sinuous, slinky song
about a woman who took a snake home but it bit her when she tried to be
friendly, no doubt this is a metaphor for a love affair, accompanied suitably
by piano, bass, trumpet and finger snaps. Brown Baby is a
beautiful song of encouragement to a black child, wishing for a better life
than the mother has had, really a song about civil rights, sung movingly, and
accompanied by bass only, 'I want you to walk down freedom's road'. Mr
Kicks is a witty, fun song about a man looking for kicks.
The rest of the songs are Pure Imagination which
includes comments to introduce the album and also a trilling flute solo; It's
Alright With Me; When He Makes Music, which is quite contemplative and sung
in an intimate, whispery style; Gotta Be This Or That; After You've Gone;
When October Goes, (a bossa which includes players on strings); The Way
He Makes Me Feel; Just Squeeze Me on which the vibraphone solo adds to the flirtatious
feel. Paul Simon's Gone At Last is done effectively as a lively 1950's
New Orleans number, and the album concludes with a bonus track of When
October Goes, done this time as a ballad.
The CD is available on the Amber Inn Productions label. See www.amberweekes.com
Ann Alex
Amber Weekes (vocals); Peter Smith, Tony Copodonico (piano); Trevor
Ware, Jeff Littleton (bass); Charles Ruggiero, Nathaniel Scott (drums); Keith
Fiddimont, (saxes); Curtis Taylor, Scotty Barnhart (trumpets); Munyungo Jackson
(percussion); Mark Cargill (violin, string arranger/conductor, co-producer); Sue Rainey (vocal on title track) + various others on guitar, flute, vibraphone, backing vocals.
1 comment :
A sultry relaxing voice great for a late night or Sunday morning listen . The track The Snake was a huge Northern Soul hit for Al Wilson and features on pretty much every Northern Soul compilation album ever released.
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