You Me & Cole
Belle Records
"You Me & Cole" is an album of bass-vocal duets providing renditions of some of Cole Porter's songs. Ogawa hails from Okazaki, Aichi, Japan, who now lives in New York. Levy is an Israeli native who now lives in San Francisco. Levy and Ogawa first began playing together for a jazz history class at the California Jazz Conservatory and discovered their musical compatibility. They enjoyed the interplay of the duo format and started performing in clubs. A fondness for Cole Porter's music led to his arrangement of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," for one of Levy's concerts. The performance then led to Ogawa transforming his big band arrangement of "I Get a Kick Out Of You" into a duet. With two duets completed, they focused on an entire album devoted to Porter's songs.
The skeletal settings for these duets allow listeners to appreciate their artistry and interaction between them. Levy is a singer to watch as she scats and vocalizes in addition to her delivery of the Cole lyrics, sometimes exhibiting drama and other times playfulness. Ogawa's accompaniments complement her singing as well as showcases his considerable technique. He can snap the strings on "I Get a Kick Out Of You" or exhibit his arco technique on "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," which he recast as a tango. There is a Sephardic tinge to Levy's vocal opening, "Just One Of Those Things." "Too Darn Hot"' opens with a memorizing bass riff leading into Levy's sensual vocal. There is a playful "Anything Goes" and a meditative, brooding rendition of "Love For Sale."
The clarity of the vocals and bass accompaniment make for a marvelous musical exploration into some of the greatest tunes in the Great American Songbook."You Me & Cole" is a captivating, delightful recording.
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here the two perform I Get a Kick Out Of You."
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