By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Circle in a Square
The big band years resulted
in the formation of numerous instrumental groups, ranging in size from trios to
full orchestras. Many featured vocalists who became as famous as the units
with which they performed, although few were classified as jazz
vocalists. Exceptions include icons such as Billie Holliday, Ella
Fitzgerald, Anita O’Day, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, June Cristy and
many more, most of whom mixed the jazz with popular songs.
With the passage of time,
many bands no longer could afford to carry vocalists. The truly famous soloists
survived in other venues, while groups had to find another way to
survive. The result was the creation of voice combos such as the Hi-Lo’s, the Four Freshman, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, the Manhattan Transfer and New York Voices; the singers used their voices as instruments.
Lauren Kinhan has been a
member of the New York Voices since 1992, and the group celebrated its 25th
anniversary in 2013.
But Kinhan isn’t merely a
vocalist; she’s also a composer, lyricist and producer. In the latter role, she
co-founded two other vocal groups: Moss and JaLaLa. The former released its first CD (Moss) in 2008, and the disc went on to be listed in Downbeat’s Best CDs of the
2000s issue. JaLaLa’s initial album (That Old Mercer Magic) hit the streets in
2009. Additionally, Kinhan has released solo albums: Hardly Blinking and Avalon. As for her compositional
skills, she wrote or co-wrote all but two of the tunes on this new release, and
also contributed the lyrics for all but one.
The resulting
album truly swings, due both to Kinhan and a wonderful cadre of
instrumentalists. A bonus feature is the inclusion of printed lyrics; you
appreciate each song even more. I had a blast listening to this; unless
you’re not breathing, you should have just as much fun.
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