Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kathy Kosins: Mood Swings

79

Kathy Kosins: Mood Swings

By

Sign in to view read count
Kathy Kosins: Mood Swings

Original Vocal Jazz— The New Standards...

 

Kathy Kosins has a smart mouth. It is manifested in the jazz vocal jewels she composes and sings. The Detroit native sang back up vocals for Was (Not Was), as well as Nelson Riddle's Orchestra before releasing her maiden voyage All In A Dream's Work in 1995. She followed All... a year later with Standard Time. Six years after that, Ms. Kosins provides a real treat with Mood Swings.

Immediately the listener will note that Ms. Kosins pens the majority of music on this jazz vocal recording with a couple of very notable exceptions. Those are Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady" preformed more efficiently and effectively than any cover by Cassandra Wilson, and that says a lot because I think she is the premiere interpreter of the oddball jazz classic. Ms. Kosins writes with the jazz masters in mind, saluting several. "I Was There" honors Bud Powell and Lester Young. The superb "No Ordinary Joe" tips its hat to Babs Gonzalez and Eddie Jefferson.

On the standards side, the aforementioned "Foxey Lady" is funky and "Gee Baby (Ain't I Good to You) is pretty straight-forward, at least by Kosins standards. She pleasantly closes the disc with Jackie Gleason's theme for the Honeymooners, "Melancholy Serenade." Ms. Kosin's voice is well-dressed and her delivery, no nonsense. She delivers the upbeat, Like "No Ordinary Joe" with confidence and panache and the ballads, like "Maybe September" with a cognac head-filling warmth. Mood Swings is a fine and fun ride, without a boring note played, Mood Swings is highly recommended.

Track Listing

I Was There; Paradise; Foxey Lady; Just By Looking In Your Eyes; No Ordinary Joe; Maybe September; Livin In Style; Between Your Heart And Mine; Love You Like A Song; Gee Baby (Ain't I Good To You); Melancholy Serenade. (Total Time: 50:00).

Personnel

Kathy Kosins: Vocals; Rick Row: Piano; Paul Keller: Bass; Gerald Cleaver Drums; Jim Gailloreto: Tenor Saxophone; Rob Parton: Trumpet; Tim Coffman: Trombone.

Album information

Title: Mood Swings | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Chiaroscuro Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.