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Daryl Sherman: Johnny Mercer A Centennial Tribute
ByWith a legacy of 1,500 heartfelt and humorous songs, Mercer's is a rich one from which to choose. Sherman's selections are a welcome mix of classics such as "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Midnight Sun" with more than a few choice rarities like "The Bathtub Ran Over Again." On the latter Wycliffe Gordon joins Sherman for a delightfully foxy vocal duet. His gravelly sound contrasts perfectly with Sherman's petite smoothness. "Little Ingenue" (co-written with Jimmy Rowles) is another gem. Here Sherman's silken glissando, backed by Jerry Dodgion's alto sax, is especially effective in capturing hope in the face of glamour that's a tad shopworn.
On "Dream," one of the few songs for which Mercer wrote both music and lyrics, Gordon's trombone provides the most sensitive of accompaniment. As Sherman conjures "smoke rings rising in the air," he is playing heavenly notes behind her. It is a great, great song performed to perfection. The artistry and empathy between Sherman and her fellow musicians makes for a set that is a glowing tribute to one of the great masters of the jazz idiom and the American Songbook.
Track Listing
I'm Shadowing You; Little Ingenue; Midnight Sun; Jeepers Creepers, Come Rain Or Come Shine; The Bathtub Ran Over Again; Lazy Bones; Peter Piper; I Thought About You; At the Jazz Band Ball; Charade; Dream; Twilight World; Here Come the British.
Personnel
Daryl Sherman
vocalsDaryl Sherman: piano, vocals; Jerry Dodgion: alto sax; Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone, vocals; Howard Alden: guitar, banjo; Jay Leonhart: bass, vocals; Chuck Redd: drums, vibraphone; Marian McPartland: piano, Barbara Carroll: piano.
Album information
Title: Johnny Mercer A Centennial Tribute | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Arbors Records