Now Is The TimeBarbara Adamson | Stet Records
San Francisco-area vocalist Barbara Adamson's approach to jazz is straightforward and straight-ahead. Her debut recording, Now Is the Time , is a relaxed, confident effort that demonstrates the (too-often overlooked) value of restraint and moderation in jazz singing. Relying on a clear, expressive voice and dramatic reading of lyrics, Adamson, backed by a fine trio (plus occasional sax, trumpet and flute), puts her personal stamp on a dozen nicely arranged standards. She's equally at ease on ballads and up-tempo numbers, and proves herself a capable scatter on a worldless romp through Miles Davis' Boplicity. And while we've all heard the likes of April in Paris, Bye Bye Blackbird, You Go to My Head, and Softly in a Morning Sunrise, many times before, Adamson, makes this familiar journey a worthwhile one. A promising debut from a singer who knows that, more often than not, less is more. www.barbaraadamson.com
Personnel: Barbara Adamson, vocals; Marshall Otwell, piano; Stan Poplin, bass; Steve Robertson; drums; Fred Berry, trumpet; Paul Contos, flute; Donny McCaslin, tenor sax. Style: Mainstream/Bop/Hard Bop/Cool |
Published: February 01, 2000
A longtime contributor to AAJ and AAJ-New York, Joel Roberts is by day the politics producer at CBSNews.com. More about Joel...
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