Sweet Candor (MCG Jazz)
Maureen Budway
Released February 17, 2015
DownBeat Four-and-a-Half-Star Review
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/browse/MPREb_1CEQm2fI46o
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2PoDg7kkMyCOASqSIAReuV?si=wW9laqesRhut_ph6ozlv4g
About:
“Maureen Budway [May 30, 1963 – Jan. 12, 2015] is one of the true gems of the Pittsburg music community bringing joy to audiences for over 30 years. This collection of songs represents Maureen’s unique ability to perform in a variety of styles with authority, passion and a deep understanding of each genre.
From the Carmen McRae influenced ‘Del Sasser’ to the Budway original ballad ‘Lonely Cane,’ Maureen conveys the message of the song in such a profound way, reaching into the depth of her very being. Maureen and her brother, pianist David Budway, have been performing together since childhood, and their ability to communicate musically is truly akin to thinking as one. This is powerfully apparent in the Americana Suite as they reach back into their childhood performing songs from the classic film Holiday Inn.
In True ‘Mo’ style, she came into the studio and recorded the record in two consecutive days of only 4 hour sessions. In this day and age of weeks of overdubs and multiple takes, this record represents a true artist’s ability to sing a song the way it is meant to be song.”
Marty Ashby, MCG Jazz
Track Listing:
1. I’ll Close My Eyes (Buddy Kaye / Billy Reid) 06:04
2. Sweet Lover No More (Dave Frishberg) 04:16
3. Del Sasser (Sam Jones) 05:14
4. Trav’lin’ Light (Johnny Mercer / Jimmy Mundy / Trummy Young) 05:26
5. Americana Suite: The House I Live In (Lewis Allan / Earl Robinson) 04:43
6. Americana Suite: The White Cliffs of Dover (Nat Burton / Walter Kent) 03:43
7. Americana Suite: Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster / Donald Moore) 03:56
8. Americana Suite: Say It With Firecrackers/Song of Freedom (Irving Berlin) 04:50
9. A Gershwin Medley: How Long Has This Been Going On/Fascinating Rhythm/Someone to Watch Over Me/The Man I Love (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin) 09:05
10. Spring is Here (Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers) 06:30
11. Aquas de Marco (Antônio Carlos Jobim) 05:29
12. Lonely Cane (David Budway / Kathleen Budway) 04:35
Personnel:
Maureen Budway: vocals
David Budway: piano
Paul Thompson: bass (1, 2, 12)
Jeff Grubbs: bass (3, 4, 8, 10, 11)
Thomas Wendt: drums (3, 4, 8, 10, 11)
James Johnson III: drums (1, 2, 12)
Sean Jones: trumpet (2)
Hubert Laws: flute (4)
Joe Negri: guitar (6)
Marty Ashby: guitar (11)
Lucas Ashby: percussion (11)
Recorded August 25, 2014 – August 26, 2014, at Audible Images, Pittsburgh, PA
Producer: Marty Ashby
Associate Producer: Renée Govanucci
Recording, Mixing and Mastering Engineer: Jay Dudt
Editing Engineers: Jay Dudt, Stan Kleja
Photography: Layne Anderson
Cover Art and Design: Jeff O’Brien Myers
Layout: Jim Manly
Review:
Sweet Candor is the only recording by the late singer Maureen Budway. A fixture in the Pittsburgh music scene, she had a long list of credits in jazz and classical music and was on the faculty at Duquesne University. While she had been a professional singer from the age of 18, appearing on recordings with guitarist Joe Negri and the Freddie Bryant Trio, Sweet Candor was her only chance to record as a leader. Budway had battled cancer for more than 20 years, and her health was on an upswing when she recorded this set. Tragically, she did not have long to live. She did have an opportunity to hear the finished results last Christmas, just weeks before she passed away on Jan. 12. It is obvious from the opening track of Sweet Candor, a medium-slow version of “I’ll Close My Eyes,” that Budway was a superior jazz singer. She caresses the melody while displaying a strong and highly expressive voice. She recalls early Nancy Wilson on “Del Sasser” before scatting on a level that Wilson never attempted. Of particular note is the singer’s often touching treatment of the four patriotic songs in the “Americana Suite.” The songs may all be vintage, but the sentiments, like the message of equality and tolerance in “The House I Live In,” remain timeless. Throughout the set, the accompaniment by Budway’s brother, pianist David Budway, is sensitive and swinging. The continuous nine-minute Gershwin medley, which is a voice-piano duet by the Budways, is quite a tour de force for the siblings. But Sweet Candor is very much Maureen Budway’s showcase. Her wonderful singing makes one mourn our loss while rejoicing that, just in time, she recorded this highly enjoyable music.
Scott Yanow (DownBeat)
