Ronny Whyte - Whyte Witchcraft (2019)

An esteemed jazz pianist who is considered a strong interpreter of Classic American Song, Ronny Whyte brings us a lengthy outing of Cy Coleman tunes, as the Cecilia Coleman Big Band and Eddie Monteiro help him flesh out the fun.

“Too Good To Talk About” starts the album with bright horns and an upbeat, smooth jazz setting as Whyte’s expressive vocals guide the tune, and this continues to the percussively strong and organ friendly “Witchcraft”, as well as soothing and flowing “Why Try To Change Me Now”.

Elsewhere, the piano work on “On Second Thought” really complements the atmosphere, while “Here I Go Again” recruits warmth and elegance in a way that parallels the greatness achieved by Sinatra. The album highlight, “I Walk A Little Faster”, mixes flutes and horns sublimely, and makes the listen even that much more glorious.

At 17 tracks, Whyte and company cover a lot of ground, where trumpets, flutes, saxophones, trombones, even accordions help breathe new life into these classic jazz tunes that one can’t help but admire.