Susan Tobocman Touch & Go

Susan Tobocman
Touch & Go
Self-produced

Born in Detroit, Susan Tobocman has had a circuitous route to her present career as a jazz vocalist. It was not until she was nearly 30 that she gave singing a chance. She spent a year playing keyboards with the new wave band, Tom Tom Club. She discovered a love for jazz and fell under the spell of singers like Shirley Horn and Andy Bey, who seemed to embody the lyrics and tell stories. She has recorded four previous albums dating back to 1998 while becoming established in the New York Scene playing such clubs as Birdland, Small's and the Zincs Bar.

She has become a songwriter of note and a superb interpreter of standards and contemporary pop gems. For this recording, she has assembled a fine group of musicians, including Joel Frahm (saxophone); Dave Eggar (cello); Pete McCann (guitar and co-producer), Henry Hey (piano & Fender Rhodes); Matt Pavolka (bass); and Michael Sarin (drums). In his liner notes, Mark Stryker writes, "'Touch & Go' isn't just a collection of tunes played by quality musicians. It's a unified statement from beginning to end in which Tobocman's vision and personality help shape and color the music even when she's not singing."

Susan Tobocman certainly impresses singing Irving Berlin's classic "What I'll Do." The rhythm sets up an infectious samba groove, and one becomes struck by the beauty of her voice, the clarity of her delivery of the lyrics, her timing, and vocal dynamics. The backing is exquisite. McCann's acoustic guitar solo adds to the charm followed by Hey's choice Fender Rhodes solo. From a superb straight jazz vocal, Tobocman is heard on a folk-jazz rendition of "Wichita Lineman" with Eggar's cello adding to the flavor of her mellifluous vocal. Her interpretative skills are displayed on a brisk interpretation of Gershwin's "The Man I Love," with a spirited Frahm tenor sax solo. Sarin's use of brushes on this lively performance and Hey's fluidity on his piano solo also merit praise.

As a composer, Tobocman contributes songs that one could easily mistake as a lost classic from the American songbook. One standout song is "Make Believe" with her lyric, "When the world is asleep/ And the stars have gone dim/ That's when I make believe/ Beneath the sky there's only him." In addition to her sweet singing, Frahm and McCann solo. Frahm is fabulous on another excellent original, "I Could Get Used To This," as well as on a cover of a James Bond movie theme, "You Only Live Twice." On the latter number Frahm's sonorous, twisting soprano sax is heard

There are two renditions of the Beatles' classic "Help," with Eggar's cello adding to the mood from her arrangement and her soft yearning vocal. She also composed two instrumentals. "Leaves of Absence" has Frahm's serpentine soprano sax set against a Brazilian groove. The spirited title song evokes "Love For Sale" and showcases Frahm and McCann's fleet, single note electronic guitar.

Listening to "Touch & Go," this listener was enchanted by Tobocman's voice but equally delighted by the first-rate musicians on a first-rate selection of songs. It is an excellent recording from a superlative singer.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Susan sings "The Man I Love."