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| You don�t have to be a fan of jazz to love the vintage-pure vocals of Robin Gregory. For that matter, you may find yourself gaining enough appreciation of the genre, particularly in its relationship to its blues cousin, to delve further into its mysteries.
These dozen interpretations pay homage to more popularly known jazz artists like Duke Ellington, who collaborates here with Barney Bigard and Irving Mills on �Mood Indigo� and Cole Porter (�Night and Day�). Johnny Mercer is represented on three tracks � �Midnight Sun� (co-written with Sonny Burke and Lionel Hampton); his own �Dream�; and a �hip� collaboration with Harold Arlen called �Out of This World�, one of the most appealing tracks on the disc. I was also introduced to less familiar names but no less distinguished writers like Alberto Dominguez (�Perfidia�), Raymond Hubbell (�Poor Butterfly�), John Richbourg (�It�s a Blue World�) and a host of others, including Thomas Waller and Andy Razaf, who composed the title track, one of the few uptempo selections, along with the doo-wop special, �You Stepped Out of a Dream� (Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn). Also included is "You Better Go Now", written by Bickley Reichner and Robert Graham. In the acknowledgements section of the liner notes, Robin thanks �all African-American people, both past and present, and on into the future, for creating the blues out of our pain, and jazzmusic out of our freedom, and yes, hip-hop out of our current confusion, for an indomitable spirit and perseverance in the face of incredible diversity, who continuously demonstrate that we can make something out of nothing and create great artforms over and over again�. Ms. Gregory is accompanied by Jimmy Robinson on drums, Michael Jones on bass, and Bliss Rodriguez playing it totally by ear on piano, offering instinctive arrangements that Robin feels remain in harmony with the original intention and integrity of the original versions while infusing them with a contemporary feel. Curiously, she chooses to cover only one female artist � Marcia Neil � and even that track, �Funny (Not Much)�, was co-written by Philip Broughton, Hughie Prince and Robert Merrill. Perhaps it was a deliberate choice to avoid comparisons to other female jazz singers. Other, more knowledgeable, reviewers have mentioned similarities to Betty Carter and Anita O�Day, while conceding that Robin�s voice has a signature of its own. All I know is that her voice sounds very natural and pleasant to listen to. She maintains a perfect control for the atmosphere of each song without feeling the need for overblown vocal theatrics. If put to the test, she could probably rock out like the best of them, but this former member of the Oakland Jazz Choir is a voice that has been carefully preserved for longevity. Honeysuckle Rose is neither blues nor jazz; it�s a perfect marriage of the two. And speaking of marriage, Ms. Gregory is wed to Sam Fredericks, the brother of blues legend Taj Mahal, whom she met through singer Anna de Leon (of Anna's Jazz Island Cafe), Taj's former wife. Born in Washington, D.C., Robin Gregory, currently performs regularly at Anna's Jazz Island in California, is a tasteful and intelligent entertainer who devotes herself to the rich musical heritage of her people. |
| HONEYSUCKLE ROSE (SONGS OF LOVE AND LONGING) � ROBIN GREGORY |
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