Album review: Gemma Sherry - Music to Dream to

Gemma Sherry (vocals); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Rick Germanson (piano); Eric Wheeler (bass); Joseph Doubleday (vibes); George Coleman Jr. (drums)

Gemma Sherry is not unknown to BSH. We reviewed two of her three previous albums earlier this year and liked them!

We like this one too not least for the way she overcomes the challenges that must have faced an Australian singer, based in La La Land singing Brazilian songs - a challenge that Gemma handles like a native of all three countries - good on ya Gemma (note how multi-lingual I am!)

There have been so many great vocal albums this year, not only from the States, but also from Europe and from the UK - even in our neck of the vocal woods - that it's difficult, if not impossible,  to draw up any kind of league table. We leave that to DownBeat. However, if you were intent upon ticking those DB boxes then Gemma Sherry should at least be on your short list.

So, what have we got? bossas, sambas and other Latin movers sung with an authenticity seemingly au fait with the culture of the songs.

In my previous review I made reference to Blossom Dearie and Shirley Horn as influences. The blurb adds Stacey Kent to the list but, whilst this is all true - up to a point - with each album her individuality emerges making her very much a player in her own right.

As on Gemma's last album, the band is, I quote courtesy of Cole Porter, Napoleon Brandy/Mahatma Gandhi - they're Cellophane. Great vibes from Doubleday. piano from Germanson, guitar from Bollenback, Wheeler on bass and, pause, is Coleman Jr. the son of legendary tenor sax titan George Coleman? Send your answers on the back of a Miles Davis CD.

A lovely album well worth checking out although I'm not sure about the title - Music to dream to. Who dreams about coffee?

Lance

Keep Talking; So Danco Samba; The Telephone Song; The Coffee Song; Bim Bom; Chove Chiva; The Telephone Song (acoustic version); Keep Talking (acoustic version);