Amber Weekes The Gathering

Amber Weekes
The Gathering
Amber Inn Productions

I was captivated by Amber Weekes' wonderful album, "Pure Imagination" from earlier in 2020. This latest release is a wonderful Holiday album backed by an all-star group of musicians, including strings and horns. She utilizes Mark Cargill's arrangements along with a cast of top Los Angeles-based musicians. These include pianists Josh Nelson, Tony Campodonico, and Eddy Olivieri; bassists John B. Williams, Adam Cohen, and Kevin Brandon; drummers Fritz Wise, Sinclair Lott, and Nathaniel Scott; guitarists Paul Jackson, Jr., Doug MacDonald, and Jacques Lesure; tenor-saxophonist Rickey Woodard; trumpeter Andrew Carney; and a string section.

Weekes enchants with her honey-voice, the clarity of her diction, her phrasing, and her vocal dynamics. With Josh Nelson's elegant piano, Carney's muted trumpet, and Cargill's lush string arrangement, she immediately connects to the listener with "The Christmas Waltz." Then she embraces "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with an understated, whispered vocal set against a light accompaniment. There is superb acoustic guitar from Paul Jackson, Jr. Cargill provides a hard-swinging arrangement for Weekes' flirty vocal for "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," with Rocky Woodward's sterling tenor sax in the spotlight as well. Jacques Lesure's bluesy guitar adds to the atmosphere of "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve."

Saxophonist Woodward adds his robust playing to the playful swing of "Winter Wonderland," which is followed by a soft, sweet rendition of "Silent Night." Weekes contributed the lyrics to the joyous title track Cargill, and guitarist Gregory Cook wrote the music for. With backing vocals and Mark Cargill adding a violin solo, this track celebrates families gathering for the holiday season. It is an exuberant end to this delightful, exquisite holiday jazz vocal recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist.

Kenny Washington What's The Hurry

Kenny Washington
What's The Hurry
Lower 9th Records

Vocalist Kenny Washington (not to be confused with the well-known drummer of the same name) is a New Orleans native who relocated to the San Francisco Bay area after discharge from the Navy. He performed in an Off-Broadway jazz production that also took him to Europe. After returning to San Francisco, he was brought back to New York with vibraphonist Joe Locke for a performance at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has appeared on several recordings from saxophonist Michael O'Neill and has two live recordings under his name. He has many fans, including vocalist Karrin Allysin, and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

On this CD, Washington is accompanied by a core group of pianist Josh Nelson, Gary Brown on acoustic bass, and Lorca Hart on drums. Others on this recording include saxophonist Victor Goines, guitarist Jeff Massanari, trumpeter Mike Olmos, percussionist Peter Michael Escovedo, bassist Dan Feizli, trombonist Jeff Cressman, and percussionist Ami Molinelli-Hart.

This is a well-programmed album, with Washington singing in a variety of settings ranging from piano trio backing, guitar or bass backing, and small combo with horns. Washington is a singer with a considerable vocal range and a slight vibrato. He stands out with his phrasing, the clarity of his delivery of the lyrics and his horn-like scatting and whistling. The backing is immaculate, starting with the piano trio on "The Best Is Yet to Come." Massanari provides a supple guitar backing for delightful renditions of "S'Wonderful" and "I Got the World on a String." Goines adds his fruity tenor sax to Brown's bass intro on an exquisite "Stars Fell on Alabama," with Nelson and Hart adding their understated backing midway, with Brown soloing. Nelson's elegant, skilled piano and Olmos' soft growling trumpet are part of the backing for Washington's melancholic interpretation of Duke Ellington's "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues."

Washington's performance of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is a duet with pianist Nelson whose restrained backing adds to the intimacy of the performance. Escovedo's bongos kick off a Latin-feel to washington's reading of the jazz classic, "Invitation," with Nelson taking a stunning piano solo. Washington's hauntingly beautiful rendition of "Here's To Life" is perhaps the album's high point, which is high praise for an excellent recording. Bassist Dan Feizli accompanies Washington on a buoyant "Sweet Georgia Brown," where Washington displays his abilities scatting. A full band with Goines on clarinet, Cressman on trombone, and Molinelli-Hart on percussion provide an effervescent Brazilian groove for Washington as he sings the Jobim-de Moraes Bossa classic "No More Blues (Chega de Saudade)." Goines' blues-inflected clarinet is showcased along with Washington's vocal and scatting.

Guitarist Massanari returns to back Washington on Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." It closes a wonderfully produced and recorded CD that displays Washington's superlative jazz vocals.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a recent performance of Kenny Washington singing "Cry Me a River."

Mon David & Josh Nelson DNA

Mon David & Josh Nelson
DNA
Dash Hoffman Records

Filipino-American vocalist Mon David teams up with pianist Josh Nelson on an album on American songbook classics and lesser-known songs. He started playing drums and guitar at 15, and he was singing pop tunes and musical theater songs when a friend gave him a copy of a Mark Murphy album that led him to his current path as a jazz singer. In 2006 David won the London International Jazz Vocal Competition and recorded his first album. He moved to the United States and currently resides in the Los Angeles area. This album of duets is his fourth US release.

Listening to Mon David, one appreciates his timing, phrasing, and vocal dynamics. There are hints of his background singing musical theater songs, and one can imagine him on the stage or at a cabaret. At the same time, he certainly shows off himself as a jazz interpreter of songs of a high order. There is an element of Johnny Hartman in his rendition of "Lush Life," as well as a bit of Kurt Elling with Nelson providing light and sophisticated backing,

There are some gems on this recording, including a lesser-known song, "Did I Ever Really Live." This song was written by Albert Sprague and Allan Sherman for a failed musical. There are several medleys on this CD, including one of "Straight No Chaser" with "Billie's Bounce." The performance displays David's considerable scatting skills, along with some original Filipino lyrics. Nelson's accompaniment and soloing merits praise here. There is also a tribute to Bill Evans, "In Praise of Bill Evans: I Remember Bill/ Very Early/ Waltz For Debby." David's interpretation of "Here's To Life" might rank just below Shirley Horn's timeless rendition. Equally stunning is a version of John Lennon's "Imagine," that starts with David unaccompanied before Nelson adds understated piano and atmospheric electric keyboards.

"DNA" was for this writer a marvelous introduction to Mon David's heartfelt and accomplished singing. The spare, elegant backing lets his considerable vocal talent shine on this exceptional recording.

 I received my review copy from a publicist. while not from this recording, here is Mon David singing "Here's To Life" in 2016.