A Romantic Evening With Jackie Allen: Live at the Rococo

Jackie Allen
A Romantic Evening With Jackie Allen: Live at the Rococo
Avant Bass

Vocalist Jackie Allen has had a career spanning three decades. She has issued 12 albums before this new release. While I am reviewing the CD, this does come as a CD/Blu-Ray set. This CD has her singing a mix of musical styles, including songs associated with Billie Holiday, The Temptations, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Carly Simon, and Joe Cocker. Her backing band consists of her husband Hans Sturm on bass, Ben Lewis on piano, guitarist John Moulder, percussionist Dane Richeson, and reeds player Bob Sheppard. Allen and Sturm, originally from Chicago, have been living in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Rococo is a former movie theatre that is now an ornate showcase for the arts. The performance was videoed for Nebraska's Educational Television, and a half-hour version has played on several public television stations.

Allen shines as a vocalist with a smokey voice, her phrasing and use of vocal dynamics. Her vocal style, paired with the arrangements she provides, has her convey sassiness, intimacy, or refection while she is marvelously backed. Furthermore, her arrangements give a freshness to the songs. This is evident during the opening 'What a Little Moonlight Can Do." Much of the performance is at a brisk, swinging tempo like Billie Holiday's classic recording, and Allen has no problem navigating the pace. But there is a place where the tempo slows, and this almost becomes a duet by her and the stride-laden piano of Lewis. Lewis also tears into a hot solo as does Sheppard on tenor sax. She continues a celebration of romantic music with a lovely interpretation of Billy Strayhorn's "Daybreak," where the clarity of her phrasing, her enunciation of the words, captivates listeners. Her ability to highlight the meaning of the songs also is showcased on "Everything I Got Belongs To You." Lewis plays the mbira (an African thumb piano) and Sheppard the flute to provide an exotic flavor to "Lazy Afternoon."

Her transformation of rock and soul tunes of the past few decades is another factor making this recording so appealing. This includes her deep-from-the-heart rendition of the Joe Cocker hit, "You Are So Beautiful" with guitarist Moulder featured). Also, there is a lively, funky take of The Temptations' classic "The Way You Do, The Things You Do." Sheppard is outstanding in his commentary to her vocal. There is also an engaging intimacy to her performance of Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years." Sturm's bass anchors the performance while Lewis' restrained organ provides atmosphere. Then she incorporates a bossa nova feel to a marvelous 'My Funny Valentine."

With a splendid selection of material, imaginative arrangements of the songs, her excellent band, and her superb singing, Jackie Allen's "A Romantic Evening" is an outstanding vocal jazz recording.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here Jackie Allen and Hank Sturm perform "Still Crazy After All These Years."