A quartet of supremely talented vocalists: Lorna Young, sisters Alicia and Denise Amaro, and Sandra Gail Brown all come from musical families and grew up singing in church from an early age. This new group call themselves Fillies Finazz, and they truly are Philly's finest. The group met with the famed Philly Soul producer Butch Ingram from Society Hill Records to discuss a new recording project and work began in earnest, with three subsequent advance singles garnered great reviews from DJs and music professionals from around the world. Hot on the heels of their first success comes the long awaited full-length “Singing For Tomorrow,” which offers more proof of greatness from this supremely talented vocal quartet.
Jazz pianist/composer David Lahm continues to demonstrate that Joni Mitchell‘s songs fit perfectly into the world of Jazz while maintaining their own distinctive flair with his Arkadia Records album, “David Lahm: More Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell”, a follow-up to the critically acclaimed “Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell”. David Lahm’s first album of Mitchell compositions featured a revolving cast of players and was praised in Jazz Times as being both “reverent and adventurous”. This time around, Lahm has assembled a core rhythm section of bassist Ratso Harris and drummer Ron Vincent (who appeared on the first volume) to propel front line saxophonists Vincent Herring and Roger Rosenberg and all-star trumpeter Randy Brecker. Although the instrumentation is more consistent than on volume one, the album is no less diverse in its approaches to Mitchell’s evocative Folk-Rock songs, as well as several Lahm original compositions which shine through in this vibrant and striking session.David Lahm’s rich harmonic imagination and rhythmic incisiveness, along with his genre-crossing insights into Mitchell’s music yield this rich and varied album, “More Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell”. Lahm’s own compositions represent mainstream Jazz at its best, with strong melodies and chord changes, and inventive arrangements that provide creative challenges for the soloists, but with this 2nd volume, and taking inspiration from Mitchell’s musical prowess, he displays his own ability to renew and reinterpret the conventions of mainstream Jazz.
Starting off with Benny Golson’s sublime reading of Duke Ellington’s Mood Indigo, the stage is set for romance. The nylon strings of Nigel Clark are featured next in the breezy A Summer Affair, capturing the smoldering flame of passion. Joanne Brackeen performs Stevie Wonder’s pop standard My Cherie Amour in her own dynamic and totally individual way, and Randy Brecker’s Grammy Nominated performance on My Funny Valentine is a moment of real beauty. Both artists bring new depth to several of the all time great love songs. Paul Tobey’s sensitive and insightful rendition of Monk’s Round Midnight is rhapsodic, using subtle dissonances to create tension, released by his flowing lines. T.K. Blue’s original composition, It’s Really All About Love features the flute, an instrument often tied with romanticism. The More I See You by Mary Pearson expresses the sentiment of undying love that we all long to have, as does the masterful ballad Interlude by the Billy Taylor Trio. Passionata was an unfinished composition by Kenny Drew Sr. that was completed and recorded by his son, Kenny Drew Jr., and is a testament to familial love. Eric Reed’s rendition of Monk’s Ask Me Now is a sparse, yet tender and eloquent doctrine on the state of love. David Liebman and Vic Juris show their gentle sides on the sparkling I Want To Talk About You, while pianist Uli Lenz’s mesmerizing A Perfect Couple brings this recording to a romantic close and is the perfect denouement for this CD, “It’s About Love.” What happens to us when we fall in love, and when we hear or see something that kindles our passions? Our outlook on life becomes filled with possibilities. Jazz mirrors our life experiences, and we should try to remember that in our collective consciousness. As in our personal relationships, jazz is about the joy and creation of beauty and human emotion in real time. Share this music with someone; it has something to do with discovery and hope. It has something to do with love.
Surprisingly great post-Philly International work from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – recorded at a time when the group had actually let a female singer into their ranks! Sharon Paige is the lady here – and she creates a nice sense of interplay with the male singers in the group – that sort of back and forth that you might find in some of Al Hudson's work with One Way, or in a variety of other funky club acts who were rising in the mainstream at the time. Harold Melvin produced, and there's some definite late Philly moments in the tracks "Prayin" and "Baby I'm Back" – but the greatest charm of the album possibly comes from tracks that change things up a bit, including "I Should Be Your Lover", "Tonight's The Night", and "Your Love Is Taking Me On A Journey". ~ Dusty Groove
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