Tenderly

Tonight was Ann Hampton Callaway at The Blue Note. I've always been a little mixed on her. She has a really beautiful instrument, I'm just not always in synch with how she uses it. Tonight was no exception, but she grew on me more and more as the evening went on.

Her first couple of tunes were all about vocal olympics. Yes, we get it, you have a fantastic range and can use it... please, please, please give us just one tiny held tone? Well, apparently, she was listening to my inner thoughts. She did a "Tenderly" that would knock anyone's socks off. It was pure, simple and beautiful. Long, lush tones and soul that went to my bones. She dedicated it to Sarah Vaughan and I can see how that was her inspiration. She also did a new tune for her, also one of my favorites-- Chick Correa's "Spain" (with Al Jarreau's lyrics). I've loved the tune since I first played it at 14, back when Chick Correa was just a name to me, but it was one of many seeds planted in my early little jazz soul, adding on to the foundation set by Vince Guaraldi and Joe Raposo. She also did "Here's That Rainy Day", which has solid early memories for me, as well.

One thing I found odd was that she didn't count off any of her tunes. If I didn't know she was a solid musician (and she is), I'd have thought she was one of those singers just along for the ride who sounds pretty and that's where it ends. Her piano player (Ted Rosenthal of the Ted Rosenthal trio, who were backing her up) held all tempo control. That's very odd for a jazz vocalist, but I guess whatever works.

She ended on a very positive note. I understand this is a usual thing for her. Her last tune (the encore, in this case) was completely improvised, just like improv theater. She takes a few suggestions from the audience and uses them to create a song on the spot. Having done that very thing back when I was on the improv scene, I was impressed. It's not an easy thing (but it sure is fun!). I want to see her go head to head with Wayne Brady on this one ;)

Overall, it was a good time. She's very much a jazz player, shows it in her scat and really shining through in spots, but her performance style at times comes very close to the cabaret line.

I can finally sleep in tomorrow-- and plan to do so. It's been a surprisingly busy week for one where I was attempting to take a bit of a mental vacation (much needed, for a variety of reasons I won't go into). I'm still in that pursuit but have a few more days of stuff I absolutely need to do. I should be able to exhale some time next week. I have a backlog of email and voice mail a mile high (can unlistened-to voice mail be stacked? I suppose I'm speaking virtually here on both accounts). Ack!! Focus is key at the moment, though, so if you're among the unanswered, don't take it personally. If it's been in the past few days, odds are I haven't even read/heard it yet.