Even though this is the first album of her own,
Susie Arioli
is no newcomer to the vocal game. She has been performing in and around Montreal for several years, and
the Susie Arioli Swing Band
has also performed at the
JVC Jazz Festival
in New York. This maiden effort is a happy marriage of classic 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s standards with some non-jazz material. On the standards,
Arioli
follows firmly in the footsteps of such singers as
Billie Holiday
,
Maxine Sullivan
Peggy Lee
, and
June Christy
. Like them, no matter what she sings,
conveys the lyrics of a song with sensitivity, understanding, and emotion -- just what one might expect to hear from a top-flight vocal artist who knows what she's about.
's interpretation of
"I Cover the Waterfront"
is done with a combination of mournful loneliness and hopeful anticipation. In his only appearance,
Aaron Doyle
plays trumpet figures underneath
to help her set the mood. The album's coda,
"Blue Prelude,"
is reminiscent of
Nancy Wilson
's 1963 recording.
's version matches
Wilson
's for the down-in-the-dumps feeling, which comes from the "pain in my soul" caused by terminal heartbreak.
also puts her accomplished snare drum playing on display during the session. On the non-classic standard side,
"The Big Hurt"
and
"It's Wonderful"
sound like 1950s pop imports and something that
Joni James
would be comfortable singing.
"Trying to Get to You"
by rockabilly star
Rose Marie McCoy
shows a down-to-earth side of
. Snippets of country swing sneak in on her renditions of
"Lover Come Back to Me"
"If Dreams Come True,"
and it works.
The Susie Arioli Swing Band
is augmented by guest guitarist
Jordan Officer
, who makes immense contributions to the proceedings. He plays an old-style
Harmony
guitar that gives off a deep, resonant sound, much like a bass pitched slightly higher than usual; the guitar sets off
's voice very nicely.
Officer
's soloing and
's vocalizing are made more eloquent by the strong presence of
Michael Browne
's outstanding rhythm guitar. This is a very entertaining CD and hopefully a forerunner of many others to follow. Recommended. ~ Dave Nathan