Laura Tate Live From El Paso

Laura Tate
Live From El Paso
811 Gold Records LLC

A career as an actor and singer, performing on stage and television, and directing music videos and documentaries, Laura Tate has this new album recorded in her present hometown of El Paso. Tate recruited a fine band for this live recording, that was a benefit concert. The band's foundation was pianist Jeff Paris on piano, Doug Hamblin on guitar, Terry Wilson on bass, and Tony Braunagel on drums. Also present is a horn section of Lee Thornburg on trombone, Darrell Leonard on trumpet, and Joe Sublett on saxophone. Teresa James adds backing vocals.

One shouldn't be surprised by Tate's singing. Her smooth, fluid phrasing, clean intonation, and ability to shade and build a performance's intensity are notable. There is a quality to these performances, including the striking backing she receives. Her songs transverse a range of material opening with Mel Harker's "No Place to Hide," that strikes these ears as a sophisticated performance that would have been at home on a 1960s pop recording of a Brill Building song. Then there is her updating of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town."

Starting wistfully, the tempo kicks it up a notch into a swinging rocker that showcases her deft singing. Darrell Leonard's searing trumpet and Doug Hamblin's biting guitar complements her sultry Peggy Lee sounding vocal on "I Need a Man." Allen Toussaint's "Hittin' on Nothin" has a groove reminiscent of Don Covay's "See Saw." With Jeff Paris emulating Toussaint's Crescent City piano, Tate solidly interprets the Irma Thomas recording with strong solo breaks by Sublett and Hamblin. There is a touch of vinegar to her vocal on the reflective "Still Got the Blues," followed by the swamp-soul flavor of "Nobody Gets Hurt." Also standing out is her dreamy vocal on "Cowboy Jazz," and the buoyant jump blues, "Big Top Hat."

The sweet soul of "If That Ain't Love" is the final track on this splendid recording covering a range of musical modes. Tate, as indicated, is a top-flight singer who is splendidly supported on this excellent recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here she sings "Still Got the Blues."

Seth MacFarlane Once in A While

Seth MacFarlane
Once in A While
Verve/ Republic

Seth MacFarlane is best known as the person behind TV's "Family Guy." Besides being a very funny person and a master of many voices, he is a crooner of quite some ability. This album was recorded at a marathon 2016 session at London's legendary Abbey Road Studio 2, the room in which the Beatles cut the majority of their catalog. The session produced his prior album "Full Swing," described as "hard-charging big band swing" as well as material for another, future record. Unlike the hard swing of the prior release, the press release states that "the thirteen songs on this album are all ballads that MacFarlane says 'deal with longing, lost love, and sadness, infused with fond recollection and a hint of hope.'"

Songs on this include compositions by such masters as Irving Berlin, Rogers, and Hart, and Johnny Mercer, with MacFarlane digging deep into their songbooks. The tracks were recorded live in the studio by the hand-picked "Dream Town Orchestra." MacFarlane added his vocals over the last year. Arranger Andrew Coffee states that "They're not necessarily sad break-up songs. They're more reflective, thoughtful, even philosophical, but they're not all torch songs."

A full album of ballads sung wonderfully against lush, scrumptious orchestrations is a bit much for this person to enjoy in a straight sitting. And let me be clear, Seth MacFarlane is a wonderful vocalist, singing with a warm, baritone with clarity and nuance with care about the lyrics whether the opening "Half As Lovely (Twice As Full)" with lovely trumpet punctuating the backing or the romanticism and nostalgia of "I Remember You" despite the syrupy strings. The reeds harken the beginning of "They Say It's Wonderful," with the celebration of being in love. Then there is his sober rendition of the classic lounge song "The Party Is Over," and a lovely "You Are Too Beautiful."

Listening to this, I am thinking of sampling "Full Swing," which I likely will enjoy more than as a whole album. I would find it hard to fault any specific performance here. MacFarlane is a first-rate crooner, and the accompaniments are superlative in their fashion. Rather than being a hard-swinging recording in the manner of Sinatra, we have a fine recording of pop vocals that make for easy listening.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is Seth MarcFarlane singing.

 

The Early Years of Fred Astaire

Sony Masterworks, in conjunction with Turner Classic Movies, has issued a double CD by the legendary Fred Astaire The Early Years At RKO. Astaire is the star of the month on Turner Classic Movies for December 2013 and is known for the classic movies he starred in along with Ginger Rogers for RKO including “Top Hat,” “Swing Time” and “Shall We Dance.” 

Backed by orchestras led by the esteemed conductors Leo Reisman, Ray Noble, and Astaire’s friend Johnny Green, Astaire introduced the world to many of the cornerstones of what we call today “The American Songbook.” Among the songs heard here, written some of American’s greatest songwriters and composers including Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and George and Ira Gershwin, are Night And Day, Cheek To Cheek, The Way You Look Tonight, They All Laughed, They Can't Take That Away From Me and Nice Work If You Can Get It.

In his liner notes, Michael Feinstein observes that Astaire is “considered by many to be the most sublime popular singer and dancer of any generation.” These were recorded around the time of the films these appeared in and Astaire’s vocals seem as effortless as his stunning dancing, coveting a fair amount of his sophisticated charm. The orchestrations are sublime with very skillful use of strings along with some muted trumpet obligatos, some doses of stride piano and some showcase his dancing (for example Let Yourself Go).

As Michael Feinstein notes, Fred Astaire was a favorite singer for songwriters such as Berlin and Gershwin, although he hated his voice. Yet listening to the controlled exuberance as he sings about going out on the town in Top Hat, White Tie and Tails, as well as the humor of sailors who looked to see the world, but instead sings that We Saw the Sea. Fred Astaire’s performances on The Early Years At RKO still enchant over 75 years when they first were recorded, and help us realize that even apart from his movies, he was a superb interpreter of songs. 

I received this recording as a digital download from Sony. This review has been published in the January - February 2014 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 352) which can be downloaded at www.jazz-blues.com.  Here is Fred Astaire performing Top Hat, White Tie and Tails from the movie Top Hat.