Of all the newcomers that have arrived on the jazz vocal scene of late, Patrice Williamson is the most pleasant surprise. On her CD My Shining Hour , she demonstrates the difference between truly being a jazz singer, as opposed to a singer who sings jazz tunes. She possesses a full-bodied alto voice with impeccable pitch and enunciation. She brings a bit more breadth to her interpretations of the melodies, then dives fearlessly into her improvized solos. The repertoire is a bit more far-reaching than those often presented on vocalists' recordings. She scats confidently and adventurously on the title cut, which both opens and closes the program. Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" is presented in a mid-tempo jazz context with Latin colorings. And in addition to some standard Gershwin, Berlin, Mercer, and Arlen choices, she tackles Tad Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now" and Bud Powell's "Wail" with aplomb. This is the real thing.
Tracks: My Shining Hour; Blue Skies; Overjoyed; If You Could See Me Now; Fascinatin' Rhythm; Perfect Stranger; Good Enough; Sayang; Wail; p.s. I Love You; Love is Here to Stay; My Shining Hour. (64:27)
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.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.