Lyn Stanley London With a Twist: Live at Bernie's

Lyn Stanley
London With a Twist: Live at Bernie's
A.T. Music LLC

This is the second of vocalist Lyn Stanley's tributes to the legendary Julie London. It is a follow-up to her wonderful "London Calling - A Toast To Julie London." The present recording was recorded Direct-To-Disc at Bernie Grundman's Mastering Studio in Hollywood, so this was a live-in-studio recording, but not at a club. It was like a high wire act as unlike a standard recording with tape, any 'mistakes' might be preserved or require a whole new recording. Stanley brought to the studio a band of guitarist John Chiodini (who co-produced this with Stanley), pianists Otmaro Ruiz and Mike Lang, bassist Chuck Berghofer, drummer Aaron Serfaty, and percussionist Luis Conte. Except for the pianists, the musicians also played on "London Calling." This band Stanley has named The Jazz Mavericks.

Like the prior CD, there is no attempt by Stanley to mimic Julie London. Instead, there is an attempt to create a similar mood to London's music, although Stanley's vocal technique and style is different from London's. In both cases, one gets an intimate sensuality with Stanley employing a sultry half-spoken soft sung delivery which often is set against sophisticated backing. Berghofer's bass opens "Route 66," a song that London never recorded by was written by her husband, Bobby Troup who played it often with Berghofer. It is followed by a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac." It is one of two contemporary numbers that Stanley attempts to perform in a manner that Julie London might have sung this. Pianist Ruiz and guitarist Chiodini standout on this behind Stanley's deliberate singing. I did find the rendition of Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" less convincing.

Among other standout performances are an evocative interpretation of "Lover Man," with some deft and thoughtful piano; a beautiful "Blue Moon" with Chiodini's chorded guitar and Berghofer's firm bass line; and a lesser-known blue ballad from the World War II era, "Love Letters." Berghofer and Stanley open "Bye Bye Blackbird" as a duet before the full band provides a fuller setting. Perhaps her most exceptional vocal is a heartfelt "Body and Soul" with some wondrous backing followed by a lively performance of "In the Still of the Night" that closes this recording.

The sound, like Lyn Stanley's prior recordings, marvelously captures every nuance of the vocals and backing. "London With a Twist," might not be almost as satisfying a tribute to Julie London as "London Calling," but has more than enough charms to warrant considerable interest. It is available in a variety of formats.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the September-October 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 386). Here is "Route 66" from this album.

Remembering James and Chuck

I was reading Holger Petersen's wonderful collection of interviews of blues and roots musicians, Talking Music 2," and Steve Miller remembered recording backing Chuck at the Fillmore in San Francisco, a recording that I once owned when it came out. Then later on Facebook I saw the posts about Chuck having passed away on Saturday March 18. This was sad news, especially after coming so shortly after blues harmonica legend James Cotton passing away as well.

I had the pleasure of seeing James Cotton a number of times over the decades, first seeing him in Cleveland in 1967around the time of The James Cotton Blues Band album on Verve Forecast. It was probably the first live blues performance I saw. Over the years I saw him at clubs (The Belle Star outside of Buffalo and the Maryland venues Twist & Shout and Tornado Alley) and festivals such as the Western Maryland Blues Festival and several times at the Pocono Blues Festival. Even after Cotton had surgery that limited his singing, he always had terrific bands and front men as singers. He was also such a warm person as well. Mr. SuperHarp will be missed.

I only had the pleasure to see Chuck Berry once at a music festival held only once at the Kennedy Center where he was backed by local DC area musicians led by Daryl Davis, who was his East Coast pianist of choice.  Others will have written about Berry's legacy but songs like "Johnny B. Goode," "The Promised Land," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Back in the U.S.A." and "Roll Over Beethoven" will forever be part of the soundtrack of our lives.

Here is a playlist of a few songs by each starting with Chuck Berry with "Johnny B. Goode."

Now a bit from James Cotton doing the Creeper which he first recorded on the album Pure Cotton, an album that in my humble opinion belongs in the Blues Hall of Fame, if it isn't already.

One of my favorite Chuck Berry recordings is "The Promised Land," which also was known from Elvis' cover as well as the cajun cover from Johnnie Allen. Here is Chuck doing it live.

James Cotton was an important member of Muddy Waters Band for many years and hear he is backing Muddy at the Newport Jazz Festival on "Got My Mojo Working."

Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" was one of numerous numbers that influenced the folks over in Great Britain.

James Cotton seen on Playboy after Dark in 1968/69 with Luther Tucker and apparently Rod Piazza is in this cip

Finally I close with Chuck Berry's "Sweet Sixteen" that the Beach Boys would be influenced by. The performance is from 2014 when Cotton received the Polar Music Prize, the Nobel Prize of the Music World.