Album review: Masumi Ormandy - Beyond the Sea.

Masumi Ormandy (vocals); Dean Johnson (bass); Tim Horner (drums); Allen Farnham (piano, synth., arrangements) + (collective on various tks)  Sara Caswell (violin); Jody Redhage Ferber (cello); Bria Skonberg (trumpet); John Allred (trombone); Danny Bacher (soprano sax, vocal); Houston Person, Tim Ries (tenor sax); Mino Cinelu (perc.); Chieli Minucci, Paul Meyers (guitar); Anders Bostrom (flute) Roseanna Vitro (vocal).

Japanese vocalist Ormandy moved to New York, via Tokyo and Frisco, to fulfil her dream of becoming a singer studying with Roseanna Vitro who appears on the final track.

Beyond the Sea is Ormandy's second album. She recorded the previous one when she was a mere seventy-seven years old. Now, seven years later (do the maths) the voice is still younger than springtime yet, paradoxically, with a maturity that defies time.

Accompanied by a choice selection, in various permutations, of NYC's finest jazz musicians it puts to bed the myth that singers deteriorate with age. At least those that don't burn the candle at both ends with late nights and the usual vices.

The opening/title track, Beyond the Sea, is taken slower than Bobby Darin's hit version and is none the worse for that with the strings and sop sax (or was it the dreaded synth?) setting the mood. 

I Can't Give You Anything But Love is a Dixieland romp with gutsy solos by Skonberg and Allred. Bacher duets vocally as well as blowing soprano.

Smile isn't one of my favourite standards but this version moved it up a notch or two. Nice piano and sympathetic strings over a bossa rhythm.

Like a River Flowing, a Japanese song with English lyrics, has some tenor sax from Ries who noodles behind the vocal. 

Here's to Life has violin and cello adding to the poignancy of the lyric.

Sentimental Journey shuffles along nicely with Allred, Bacher and Skonberg, tightly muted, giving it that swingy feel the tune deserves.

I'm Through With Love. Remember MM singing this in Some Like it Hot? Ormandy may be eighty four but she conveys the same emotion and there's also beautiful tenor from Houston Person.

Tea For Tea. After an out of tempo vocal verse it moves on to a Latin cha-cha rhythm with some tasty violin from Caswell.

I Left my Heart in San Francisco. When someone such as Tony Bennett has laid down the template for a song then the deck is stacked against the rest. Nevertheless, Ormandy doesn't fold and she offers an acceptable alternative.

It's Only a Paper Moon. More great tenor from Houston P alongside an excellent vocal.

Ringo No Uta (Apple Song). a Japanese folk song that not only has Ormandy's mentor Vietro joining her but also has a stunning flute solo from Bostro.

You won't hear many vocals as good as this by a singer as old as this and, nor will there be many vocals as good as this by many a younger singer - magic! Lance

Available on Miles High Records.