Vocalist Karen Mack is a regular at some of the top New City Jazz venues, but I clearly hear the influence of West Coast Jazz in the way she uses her velvety smooth voice to tell her musical stories. Karen can Swing but she can also handle a ballad with clarity and sensitivity. Being stuck at home during the pandemic gave Karen time to reevaluate what she wanted to do for herself as an artist. "I wanted to lift people up and find my own voice. For me, that involves having the freedom to improvise and to explore new ways of creating music and storytelling". Karen's Jazz debut Album "Catch and Keep" makes it clear that she chose the right musical direction for her and her Jazz audience. "Catch and Keep' contains a diverse group of songs, some well-know standards, some terrific but lesser known standards, Some original songs written by women composers and two songs written by Mack and her old friend and renowned Jazz artist, Peter Eldridge. "Catch and Keep" is a wonderful present to all Jazz vocalist lovers! The vibe on this CD is so refreshing you will find yourself playing it over and over again. Karen has the rare ability to sing lyrics with the same comfort and understanding you would get having an easy conversation with an old friend.
Karen worked closely on this CD with Peter Eldridge, a founding member of the internationally acclaimed vocal group, New York Voices. Eldridge did the arrangements on the CD and also played Piano and Organ. Eldridge and Mack brought in a group of some of the most talented musicians in New York to support them on this Album and the results show it. The fit between Karen's vocals and her supporting musicians is perfect.
PLAYERS:
Karen Mack- Vocals
Peter Eldridge- Piano, Organ, Arrangements
Jesse Lewis- Guitars
Matt Aronoff- Upright Bass
Jared Schonig- Drums, Percussion
Special Guests:
Darmon Meader- Saxes on tracks# 3, 4,6, and 8
Nadje Noordhuis- Trumpet on track# 1, Flugelhorn on track# 10
Elliot Roth- Piano, Vocals, Arrangement, on track# 12
PLAYLIST:
1. Nothing Like You
2. Imagination
3. From Now On
4. Come To Baby Do
5. This is Always
6. I'm So Repentant
7. November Day
8. Hurry Up and Wait
9. Here Is Everything
10. Our Love Rolls On
11. I Wanna Get Married
12. It's Hard To Say Goodbye
I have attached two "YouTube" videos to listen to. The first is a Bob Dorough and Fran Landesman song titled "Nothing Like You". It features a tasty Trumpet solo by Australian Nadje Noorhuis. The second attachment is a classic standard "This Is Always". I was not familar with this song but as soon as I heard it, I put it on my favorites list. It was written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon and the medley and lyric are stunning. I was also very impressed by "It's Hard To Say Goodbye" that was written by the great LA Jazz composer and singer Vocalist, Betty Bryant.
"Nothing Like You"
