Kelly Harland - Long Ago and Far Away - Sings Jerome Kern (2008)

  • 13 Jun, 17:20
  • change text size:

Artist:
Title: Long Ago and Far Away - Sings Jerome Kern
Year Of Release: 2008
Label: Origin
Genre: Jazz / Vocal Jazz
Quality: Mp3 / 320kbps
Total Time: 45:13 min
Total Size: 103 MB
WebSite:

Tracklist
----------
01. I'm Old-Fashioned
02. Look For The Silver Lining
03. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
04. Yesterdays
05. Long Ago - And Far Away
06. Don't Ever Leave Me
07. The Song Is You
08. Can I Forget You - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
09. Make Believe
10. All The Things You Are

With a full album dedicated to Jerome Kern's contributions to the Great American Songbook, it's not terribly surprising that Kelly Harland should come across as a bit of a torch singer. Luckily though, Harland's got stronger abilities than the average torch singer.

Where so many female jazz singers try to spice up the songbook with a little power and show, or try to vamp up the songbook like Eartha Kitt followers, Harland simply sings with a straightforward approach and a sweet voice. Of course, the compositions themselves are all first-class, as one would expect with this kind of focus. The rhythm section (pianist Bill Mays and bassist Chuck Deardorf) provides able accompaniment, with a streak of outstanding exploration here and there (just wait for the solos from both in "The Song Is You").

For fans of female jazz vocalists who are just a bit tired of the standard lounge-based torch singer, Kelly Harland should provide an excellent reprieve, with more sensitivity to the lyrics and the music itself. Paying proper respect to the music rather than strong-arming the songs just to show off pays off beautifully.
~Adam Greenberg

Personnel:
Bill Mays - piano
Chuck Deardorf - bass instrument
Kelly Harland - vocals


IsraCloud : Download