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Love Is For All Time
Self-produced
Los Angeles native Lorraina Marro is a singer with a high voice with a touch of vibrato that celebrates love in various ways on a recording that displays her ability to swing along with delivering a ballad with tenderness and grace. Marra cites Nancy Wilson as a prime influence and credits Barbara Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, and Linda Ronstadt as early influences and inspirations. On an album of standards, she is accompanied by pianist Steve Rawlins (who produced this session), bassist Jennifer Leitham, guitarist Grant Geissman, drummer Steve Pemberton, trumpeter Dr. Bobby Rodriquez, and tenor saxophonist Ricky Woodward.
Ms. Marro certainly has a presence with her vocals. Her pitch, phrasing, diction, and vocal dynamics are spot on, although I wish her vocals had less vibrato, although that is a matter of taste. It doesn't hurt to have such an excellent backing band. Saxophonist Woodward shines on the opening "Stairway to the Stars", while Geissman's comping, obligattos, and solo on acoustic guitar are marvelous, enhancing soft vocal on the bossa nova "I'm Not Alone." A swinging "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" has both Dr. Rodriquez and Woodward shining as they trade lines throughout the performance. Woodward plays majestically on her pensive vocal on Arthur Hamilton's ballad "Rain Sometimes." Her playful treatment of "My Baby Just Cares For Me," backed just by the rhythm section, places the spotlight on bassist Leitham before a choice solo from Rawlins. Greissman lends a bossa nova feel to a wonderful interpretation of "People."
Ms. Marro sings a couple of tunes in Spanish with a touch of drama in her musical storytelling for "Viajera Del Rio" with lovely trumpet from Dr. Rodriquez. The closing "Esta Tarde Vi Lover (Yesterday I Heard the Rain)" is a precious performance sung both in Spanish and English. Geissman's guitar accompanies her Spanish vocal before the rhythm section enters with her switching to English. If not wholly to my taste, Lorraine Marro still is a vocalist of considerable merit who is wonderfully supported on this well-programmed album.
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here she performs "People."
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