When Lights are Low (Savant Records Inc)
Denise Donatelli
Released June 15, 2010
Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album 2011
YouTube: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=r1yaE6pZB1w&list=OLAK5uy_m4D4Xl_bczW6qFeKxTiN-U1H-mDHCoLTc
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1yHcO7A70igdNIyf0TCmzs?si=fLYk4VuhTyad8XFwWlvoxA
About:
The problem with jazz singing is that almost no two listeners can agree on exactly what it is. Fans of unbridled scatting tend to dismiss vocalists with a more lyrical side; listeners who who enjoy lyrical storytelling have less regard for performers who use the words as vehicles for ostentatious display. This makes the singing of Denise Donatelli particularly remarkable, since her style is able to employ the positive aspects of those two camps. The first thing you notice is the rich timbre of Donatelli’s voice, which has the clarity and flexibility to sing almost any imaginable genre from pop/blues to operatic aria. With musical direction, arrangements and keyboard contributions by Geoffrey Keezer and the participation of musicians such as Ingrid Jensen, Hamilton Price, Peter Sprague and others, Denise Donatelli here shows herself to be a jazz singer who belongs in the upper echelon of modern jazz vocalists. Her performance, along with the accompaniment from an ensemble of first-call players makes this a first-rate recording.
Track Listing:
1. It’s You or No One 3:44
2. Don’t Explain (Billie Holiday) 6:00
3. When Lights Are Low 4:49
4. Big Lie, Small World (Sting) 6:31
5. Why Did I Choose You? (M. Leonard / H. Martin) 4:45
6. I Wish I Were in Love Again 3:26
7. Kisses (Cantor Da Noite) (Alan Bergman / Marilyn Bergman / V. Martins) 7:05
8. Forward, Like So 4:20
9. The Telephone Song 2:32
10. The Bed I Made (D. Batteau) 4:17
11. Enchantment (Firm Roots) (Cedar Walton) 5:10
Personnel:
Denise Donatelli: vocal
Geoffrey Keezer: piano/Rhodes
Peter Sprague: guitar
Hamilton Price: bass/electric bass (10)
Jon Wikan: drums/percussion, pandeiro (9)
Susan Wulff: double bass (2, 7)
Giovanni Clayton: cello (2,7)
Roland Kato: viola (2, 7)
Alma Lisa Fernandez: viola (2,7)
Matthew Duckles: viola (2, 7)
Julia Dollison: vocals (4, 10)
Kerry Marsh: vocal (4, 10)
Ingrid Jensen: flugelhorn (2)
Phil O’Connor: bass clarinet (4, 10)
Ron Blake: soprano sax (7)
Recorded at Firehouse Studios, Pasadena, CA, by Ed Wooley & Andy Zisakis; SpragueLand Studios, Encinitas, CA, by Peter Sprague; Visual Rhythm Studios, Alhambra, CA, by Carlos Y. Del Rosario
Produced by Geoffrey Keezer
Co-Producer: Carlos Y. Del Rosario
Executive Producer: Robbie Davis
Mixed edited & mastered by Carlos Y. Del Rosario
Photography by Mikel Healy
Design by Junko Mayumi and Keiji Obata
Review:
Commanding a soothing, lush voice capable of tenderizing the lyrics of any song, Denise Donatelli does a wonderful job on When Light are Low, a collaboration with friend and musical director Geoffrey Keezer. The album has received two Grammy nominations, one of which is for “Best Vocal Jazz Album,” leaving no doubt that this is indeed an exceptional recording. The other Grammy nod is for “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying A Vocalist,” for Keezer’s arrangement of Billie Holiday’s classic, “Don’t Explain.”
Iin addition to producing and arranging, Keezer also performs on piano, and crafts a variety of instrumental combinations in support of Donatelli, including trumpet , saxophone and rhythm section; a vocal choir; guitar and percussion; solo piano; and string quintet. Fronting a quartet featuring guitarist Peter Sprague, Donatelli kicks the music off with a swinging rendition of “It’s You or No One,” spicing it up with some appreciable scatting. On “Don’t Explain,” the vocalist shows her softer side, emotionally delivering its lyrics, with Sprague and guest flugelhonist Ingrid Jensen providing splendid accompaniment. The title track is especially brilliant, surrendering an outstanding sound that features Ron Blakeon a series of burnished tenor solos. The strings and background vocals come to the forefront on Sting’s pop song “Big Lie, Small World,” while Keezer and Donatelli perform a delicious duet on “Why Did I Choose You,” perhaps a reference as to why these two are such a sparkling musical force. “The Telephone Song,” sung as a bossa, delivers a nice buzz and features Sprague, and Jon Wikan on pandeiro. Other notable tracks include “Forward, Like So” and Cedar Walton’s “Enchantment (Firm Roots),” wrapping up a special album from a special vocalist.
The Keezer-Donatelli collaboration proves to be a winning combination once again as the Grammy attention about When Lights are Low most certainly affirms. There are no low lights here, as Denise Donatelli’s star continues to rise and, with this recording, shine brightly.
Edward Blanco (All About Jazz)
