CD Review: Deborah Shulman "We Had A Moment"

 

Deborah Shulman – “We Had A Moment"

Vocalist Deborah Shulman has just released her sixth album, We Had A Moment, and it’s a beauty. The eclectic playlist of standards she’s chosen for this CD is deeply personal — each song has a story and meaning connected to her life. The selections reflect irony, grief, grace, and love, and together they form a portrait of a vocalist who truly lives what she sings. The result is a wonderful gift to her listeners.

Deborah Shulman is one of those rare vocalists who can take a standard you’ve heard hundreds of times and make it sound completely new again. That’s not something that can be faked — it comes only from life experience, empathy, and a deep understanding of the lyric. Every track here shows that she feels and believes every word she sings.

There are ten songs on We Had a Moment, and each one is a gem.

PLAYLIST:

1. Anyone Can Whistle — Stephen Sondheim

2. No Moon at All — David Mann & Red Evans

3. Without a Song — Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose & Edward Eliscu

4. New York State of Mind / On Broadway — Billy Joel / Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller

5. With So Little to Be Sure Of — Stephen Sondheim

6. Goodbye Love / Not Like This — Richard Rudolph & Jeremy Lubbock

7. The Laughter and the Tears — Randy Edelman

8. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea — Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler

9. Miss Otis Regrets — Cole Porter

10. You Must Believe in Spring — Michel Legrand, Alan & Marilyn Bergman

Seven of these tracks were recorded with her longtime pianist and arranger Jeff Colella, and three with pianist and arranger Terry Trotter. Both are master musicians, and it’s fascinating to hear their distinct approaches. Colella’s arrangements feel intimate, harmonically rich, and conversational — he creates space for Deborah’s voice to explore emotional depth. Trotter brings his own elegant phrasing and understated sophistication. Hearing both pianists on one record is a master class in how two great minds can interpret the same vocalist differently but beautifully.

In addition to these two remarkable pianists, Deborah brought together a dream team of musicians — every one of them a hall-of-fame player:

PLAYERS:

• Vocals: Deborah Shulman

• Piano & Arrangements: Jeff Colella

• Piano & Arrangements: Terry Trotter

• Guitar: Larry Koonse

• Bass: Kenny Wild and Chris Colangelo

• Drums: Joe LaBarbera and Kendall Kay

Each of these musicians brings heart, skill, and decades of experience to the project. The result is a sound that is warm, deeply musical, and refreshingly honest.

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

• Produced by: Deborah Shulman and Jeff Colella

• Recorded at: Tritone Studios, Glendale, California

• Engineered and Mixed by: Talley Sherwood

• Mastered by: Paul Tavenner

• Label: Summit Records (Released 2024)

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We Had A Moment is a brilliant CD that will bring joy to listeners for many years to come. These songs are more than performances — they’re stories, reflections, and moments of truth.

Deborah Shulman, I personally thank you for your artistry and for breathing new life into these great songs once again. Your voice, your insight, and your heart make this album unforgettable.

I have attached two songs from "We Had A Moment" for your listening pleasure.  The first song composed by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler is "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea".  The second is one of my all-time favorites, "Miss Otis Regrets" written by Cole Porter". 

                                                       "The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"

                                                                    "Miss Otis Regrets"

CD Review: Mark Masters Ensemble, "Sui generis" Featuring TIm Hagans

Composer/Arranger Mark Masters continues his pursuit of Jazz excellence with the release of his new CD, "Sui Generis" that features Trumpet virtuoso Tim Hagans.  Mark discovered Trumpeter/Flugelhornist Tim Hagans when Hagans was playing in the Stan Kenton orchestra.  Mark says " I heard him and thought, Wow,  who is this guy?"  "Tim is a true original,  he's developed his own harmonic language, which not many people have done. The term "sui generis" is a Latin phrase meaning "one of a kind" which absolutely applies to him."

Mark Masters always puts together musicians who are of the highest level of musical skills.  On "Sui Generis" Masters in addition to Tim Hagans brought in Nicole McCabe on Alto and Jerry Pinter on Tenor and Soprano, Dave Woodley on Trombone, John Dickson on French Horn, Jeff Colella on Piano, Chris Colangelo on Bass and Kendall Kay on Drums.  Masters arranged to have each of these musicians contribute along side of Tim Hagans.

Master Composer Mark Masters composed and arranged all twelve songs  on this album and the music is Jazz at its highest level of excellence.  

PLAYLIST:

1.  Hud's Two Step

2. The Stoic 

3. Deep Pools

4. Velocity

5. Interlude

6. Waxing and Waning

7. Pebbles

8. Meet Me At Sal & Angie's

9.. The Hammer

PLAYERS:

TIm Hagans- Trumpet

Nicole McCabe- Alto Sax

Jerry Pinter- Tenor and Soprano Sax

John  Dickson- French Horn

Jeff Colella- Piano

Chris Colangelo- Bass

Kendall Kay- Drums 

Dave Woodley- Trombone

Judy Wexler, "No Wonder"

Multi-talented Jazz Vocalist Judy Wexler has been studying and performing for over 20 years and has become one of the most compelling Jazz Vocalist on the West Coast.  She has learned her lessons well over the years and always surrounds herself with the finest West Coast musicians.  And when she combines these talented musicians with her ability to selecting songs that are wonderful but not played frequently, Jazz magic occurs. Judy has an intense love for lyrics and takes joy in creating her own interpretations.  When she adds her warm voice to a lyric the results create beautiful reborn musical gems.  On "No Wonder" Judy unveils a range of emotions and combines her astute blend of storytelling with subtle melodic variations and rhythmic shifts.  The arrangements on "No Wonder" were created by Judy's longtime Pianist and Arranger Jeff Colella and they are hip and fresh and fit Judy's vocal style perfectly.  This is Judy's first CD of standards and when these songs are combined with Judy's warm voice, her spot- on phrasing and Colella's creative arrangements, the songs seem re-born again.

Judy preforms in Jazz clubs in the LA area to the delight of her many fans.  She has also headlined at performing arts centers and Jazz festivals in Montreal, Dubai, Tel Aviv, San Jose and Temecula where she opened for the legendary Mose Allison,  If you know anything about Mose Allison, then it will help you understand Judy's long-time love of "Off the beaten path" songs and lyrics.

The list of supporting musicians is an A-listing of the best LA musicians.  So, what do you get when you gather a group of fine Jazz musicians in a recording room with a veteran Jazz Vocalist with a beautiful voice and a love for interpretation and phrasing of lyric?   You get a beautiful Jazz CD titled "No Wonder"!

I have attached a "YouTube" video with two songs from "No Wonder". The first song is a long-time favorite of mine composed by Leonard Cohen, "Dance Me To The End of Love".  The lyric for this Cohen gem has always fascinated me, and I always thought about it as a lovely love poem.  I learned from Judy that the lyric is about the Jewish musicians in the Nazi concentration camps who were forced to perform as their fellow prisoners were marched to their deaths.  Now, the lyric of the songs takes on a new, deeper emotional meaning for me.  Bob Sheppard adds a beautiful Clarinet solo and Larry Koonse has a captivating Guitar solo also.  The second song I attached was Judy's up-tempo version of the the 1940 standard, "You Stepped Out of a Dream".  

                                                                "Dance Me to the End of Love"

                                                                    "You Stepped Out of a Dream"

PLAYLIST:

1. No Wonder 

2. The Summer Knows

4. Never Will I Marry

5. Wish You Were Here

6. Firm Roots

7. Slow Hot Wind

8. I Wish You Love

9. Dance Me To The End of Love

10. That Sunday, That Summer

11. A Weaver of Dreams

12. The Night We Called It A Day

PLAYERS:

Judy Wexler- Vocals

Jeff Colella- Piano, Melodica, All Arrangement except, "No Wonder" Luciana Souza and "I Wish you Love" Brian Swartz

Danny Janklow- Alto/Tenor Sax, Flute/ Alto Flute 

Bob Sheppard, Soprano Sax, Clarinet

Jay Jennings- Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Larry Koonse- Electric/Acoustic Guitar

Gabe Davis- Bass

Steve Haas- Drums   

CD Review: Judy Wexler, "Back to the Garden"

 

Multi-talented Judy Wexler has just released her sixth album, "Back To The Garden" and it has already received high marks in the JazzWeek radio charts.  "Back To The Garden" is a departure from Wexler's previous albums which featured modern Jazz songs and songs from the best of the Great American Songbook.  This album selections are some of the great songs from the 60s and Judy has applied her creative ability to reimagine these wonderful tunes.  According to Wexler, "I was a bit young in the 60s to be completely aware of the great music going out, but my older brother bought all the new records, and I have such great memories of hanging out in his room and listening to him play guitar and sing along with Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel.  I could feel the powerful messages of the music even if I didn't fully understand the context.  Music of the 60s is truly a reflection of the times, and the music reflected the turbulence engendered by war, political protests, and the rise of important social movements like feminism and racial justice."  Sadly we are still struggling with these issues today!  

In her new album Wexler has done a masterful job of re-imaging 10 of the best songs from the 60s to reflect her interpretation of these songs and bring forth their messages of hope, love and change again.  This is what truly outstanding Jazz musicians do.  They take great music and lyrics and give them a re-birth while  never  sacrificing the integrity of the original brilliance of the music and lyric.  Wexler has a lot of tools in her musical bag that allow her to succeed with her re-interpretation of these golden songs.  She has near perfect pitch, her voice is clear and strong, her phrasing is always perfect and she puts forth a real understanding of the issues that the lyrics cover.  

The arrangements are sparkling and new and the group of musicians Wexler has gathered together to record this album are spectacular by any measure.  She started with her long-time pianist and arranger Jeff Colella whose resume is extremely long and distinguished.  He toured with Lou Rawls for 16 years and was Musical Director for Jack Jones, just to mention two.  She called upon the brilliant young Pianist and Composer Josh Nelson who contributed two arrangements.  World-class Guitarist Larry Koonse was joined by Bass player Gabe Davis, and Drummer Steve Hass.  They were joined by Bob Thiele, Jr on Electric and Baritone Guitar, Danny Janklow on Alto sax, Jay Jennings on Trumpet and Hendrik Meurkens on Harmonica.  The string section included Violinists Joel Pargman and Carrie Kennedy, Rodney Wirtz on Viola, and Cellist Stefanie Fife.  Erin Bentlage arranged and contributed background vocals on four tracks.  As you can see from this list of master musicians, Wexler has spent whatever money was necessary to produce the finest musical product she could.  She has succeeded!  "Back To The Garden" is an outstanding new album that deserves all the praise that it is receiving already by the music press.  The music and lyric on these old songs are still as enjoyable as when I first heard them played over 60 years ago and that's a tribute to the musical talent of Judy Wexler. 

The songs on "Back To The Garden" include two written by Bob Dylan, one by Paul Simon and one by Stephen Stills.  They will bring back memories of Joni Mitchel, the Youngbloods, Harry Nilsson and Judy Collins.  If you are too young to remember these original songs of the 60s, I think you will fall in love with them now.  If you do remember these original songs from the time they were recorded, you will fall in love with Judy Wexler and her interpretations.  

Players:

Judy Wexler- Vocals

Jeff Colella- Piano, Melodica, Background Vocals

Larry Koonse- Nylon String and Electric Guitar

Gabe Davis- Bass

Steve Hass- Drums

Bob Thiele, Jr- Electric and Baritone Guitar

Erin Bentlage- Background Vocals

Danny Janklow- Alto Sax

Jay Jennings- Trumpet

Hendrik Meurkens- Harmonica

Sara Caswell- Violin

Rodney Wirtz- Viola

Stefanie Fife- Cello

Talley Sherwood- Background Vocals

Playlist:

Get Together (Chet Powers)

Up On The Roof (Gerry Goffin and Carole King)

American Tune (Paul Simon)

Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell)

The Times They Are A-Changin (Bob Dylan)

Since You've Asked (Judy Collins)

For What It's Worth (Stephen Sills)

Everybody's Talking (Fred Neil)

Forever Young (Bob Dylan)

Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Sandy Denny)

I have attached two wonderful YouTubes for your listening pleasure.  The first one, "Everybody's Talking" that has some tasty Harmonic work provided by Hendrik Meurkens.  The second one is still very popular today "Up On The Roof" from Gerry Goffin and Carole King.  Judy Wexler's voice and phrasing and Jeff Colella's terrific Piano work show us how to turn a great R & B rock and roll tune into a delightful Jazz tune!  

  

                                                                  "Everybody's Talking"

                                                                    "Up On The Roof"

CD Review: Jerry Kalaf "Welcome To Earth"

On January 23, 2015 Composer, Arranger and Drummer Jerry Kalaf will release his latest CD, "Welcome to Earth".  Usually, when I am reviewing a new CD with original compositions, it requires listening to the CD several times in order to get comfortable with the music.  Not so with the music written and arranged by Jerry Kalaf.  The songs are constructed in such a pure musical way that I found myself loving the material after my first time through the CD.  All the compositions are rich in melody, harmony and rhythm.  While they all are new songs, they all have a very comfortable feel.  I believe this is because of Jerry's approach to songwriting.  "My approach to composing can be termed absolute rather than programmatic.  In other words, I usually don't draw from sources outside the music. I don't have a specific subject matter or imagery in mind; rather, I'm concerned with melody, harmony, and rhythm.  I often think of the names only after the piece is written."  The result of this approach is outstanding world-class songwriting!  In addition to writing the 8 tracks on this CD, Jerry has also done a superb job writing the arrangements.

The arranging for these songs was no easy task since Jerry decided to use three different bands on this project, two different trios playing 5 songs and a sextet playing 3 songs.  When listening to the full CD,  the change between the two trios and the sextet seems seamless.  Perfect job of mixing and production in my opinion.

Jerry Kalaf is a rock solid Drummer and plays on all 8 cuts on the CD.  He has assembled a core of excellent-seasoned veterans to record with him and the resultant product is close to being musically perfect as you can get. The title of this CD is "Welcome to Earth" and it has something of a new rebirth feel.  The title could have been "Welcome to Spring" because the music has a clean, fresh sound reminding me of Spring.  Jerry Kalaf is a terrific Drummer and a fantastic Composer and Arranger.
                                               
                                              THE PlAYLIST

CD Review: "What I See" by Judy Wexler

Judy Wexler

Judy Wexler has just finished recording her 4th album, "What I See". Judy has a marvelous, pure, clean voice, but that's only one part of what makes her such a special singer. First and foremost, Judy is a wonderful storyteller. When you hear Judy sing any of the songs that she carefully hand picks, she brings life to the lyrics. She has the rare ability to magically combine the story with her beautiful voice and captures the full attention of the listener. The songs Judy recorded on this album cover a wide range of times and styles; and, yet, Judy has been able to put them together as if these songs were written just for this album. There are few singers who have the ability to select the songs Judy has and bring them to life as she does. After selecting her songs, Judy applies the final magic to her CD by bringing together some of the most talented sidemen on the West Coast: Larry Koonse on Guitar, Bob Sheppard on Bass Clarinet and Alto Sax, Ron Stout on Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Scott Whitfield on Trombone, Billy Hulting on Percussion, Chris Colangelo on Bass, and Steve Hass on Drums. These are a lot of parts to pull together and make it all fit together perfectly. So Judy, brings in her long-time Pianist/Arranger, Jeff Colella to co-produce the album. Jeff who spent almost two decades as the Music Director for Lou Rawls put together all the beautiful arrangements that make this CD one of the best Jazz albums of the year.