Francine Griffin: The Song Bird

The tunes are a mixed bag of vocal numbers that bridge the traditions of bop and swing and Griffin shows routinely that these songs have been part of her regular repertoire for many years. Her familiarly carries over periodically into playfully improvised reworkings of several songs’ lyrics to fit her own experiences. Griffin even finds the space for some spirited scat-crobatics as on the briskly swinging rendition of Parker’s “Anthropology.” Musically the three sextets deliver solid accompaniment and most of the tunes afford the players the capacity to stretch out alongside Griffin’s gutsy singing. There are several numbers that suffer from unnecessary fades, such as “Inside a Silent Tear,” but these lapses in production are of minor importance when compared to the delightful music at hand. If you’re a sucker for honestly rendered jazz vocals Ms. Griffin’s rich tapestry of jazz tradition is definitely one to wrap your ears in. An interesting and unexpected footnote is that this release marks Delmark’s first jazz vocal album ever.

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