Barbara Dane - Throw It Away... (2016)

Throw It Away by singer Barbara Dane, along with pianist and arranger Tammy Hall, is exceptionally good. A veteran of various musical world, Dane delivers a lyric in a way that truly captures the spirit of each song. The warmth in her voice and in the sound quality of the production makes if truly engaging. Hall’s performance is that of a collaborator and is stellar in its own right, along with the outstanding arrangements she created for the project. The setlist here is a mix of blues, pop and more recent standards by the likes of Paul Simon, Abbey Lincoln, Lennon and McCartney, Leonard Cohen and Memphis Minnie. Dane also wrote or co-wrote lyrics for several of the tunes. Rounding out the musician lineup are bassist Ruth Davies and drummer Bill Maginnis, joined by guests Pablo Menéndez and Richard Hadlock on blues harp and saxophone respectively. It’s hard to believe that this is the first recording in 14 years for Dane, who is 89 years young, but we’re clearly dealing with real pros here. This effort is about as good as music gets.