Jacqueline Tabor The Lady in the Gown

Jacqueline Tabor
The Lady in the Gown
Big Daddy Tabor Productions

This is the third album by Seattle chanteuse Tabor who is backed by her trio of Cole Schuster: guitar; Greg Feingold: bass; and Max Holmberg: drums. She penned the title track on this album that is otherwise comprised of jazz standards imaginatively backed by this guitar-led trio. Guitarist Schuster's clipped guitar set against Feingold's bass riff and Holmberg's drums introduces her vocal on "Green Dolphin Street." This performance displays the clarity of her straight-forward vocals and also has an imaginative solo from Schuster. It is followed by a wonderful "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" strongly backed only by Feingold's bass. Then there is a brisk "Autumn Leaves," which further shows her direct approach to the songs. Her vocals reveal subtle shifts in phrasing and pitch and on this selection Schuster shines as well as then trades fours with Holmberg.

The title track is a strongly delivered driving blues with the trio's backing adding to the pleasure here. She also brings her own personality to the B.B. King classic "Never Make a Move Too Soon," that was also associated with the late Etta Jones. There is a lively rendition of the Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and a beautiful, wistful interpretation of Ellington's "Mood Indigo," with Schuster providing scrumptious guitar accompaniment while Holmberg adeptly used brushes here. On the opening of "When Lights Are Low" she is backed only by Holmberg who provides a latin groove before Schuster and Feingold join in on an imaginative arrangement of this Benny Carter standard. The trio also provides a low-key setting for her heartfelt singing on Jobim's "Dindi."

An exquisite rendition of “Crazy He Calls Me” closes this delightful album. Tabor impresses throughout on this fine vocal jazz recording.

Received a download to review from a publicist. I have made some stylistic edits to the review that originally appeared in the July-August Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 379). Here is a performance of "On the Green Dolphin Street."