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Carol Sloane: Something Cool
ByAs big a hit as “Something Cool” was for June Christy in 1953, it takes a bit of chutzpah not only to sing the tune, but also to title the album after it, as Christy did. No matter. Ms. Sloane is up to the challenge, and she puts her own indelible imprint on the tune. Her transparency and loneliness as she becomes the song’s faded rose are almost embarrassingly intimate, while Aranov’s sensitive accompaniment is at once both minimal and optimal.
“Jackie” is a 12-bar blues by Hampton Hawes; Annie Ross, for whom Sloane filled in on occasion, gave her the lyrics, based on a Wardell Gray solo recorded in 1951. Turney’s alto solo is delicious. The tempo is brisk, and my admiration is profound for anyone who can articulate this song cleanly and swingingly. Jimmy Rowles wrote “Baby, Don’t You Quit Now,” a lazy vamp, and Johnny Mercer supplied the lyrics; that by itself is probably enough said. Hear how Sloane wraps the song around her, and listen for Mraz’s melodic solo.
The end of a love affair need not be devastating, if one maintains a cheery, cynical detachment. This is the message of “Can’t We Be Friends,” and it’s a bittersweet lesson, as conveyed by Sloane. The opening and closing choruses of “You’re a Bad Influence on Me” feature just Sloane and Mraz; they and Turney’s superlative, Hodges-laced solo are immaculate.
Ellington’s “Cottontail” is another souvenir of Ms. Sloane’s time with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks, and it remains one of her favorite vocal exercises. Written for Billie Holiday, “Some Other Spring” brings the tempo and mood down. The second chorus is Turney’s only flute solo on the album, and it’s a keeper. The CD concludes lightly and brightly with “Tomorrow Mountain,” written by Duke Ellington for 1947’s Beggar’s Holiday, with lyrics by John Latouche. Turney’s alto solo sparkles. As the echoes fade, this CD, like others, leaves me nostalgically wanting more.
Track Listing
Something Cool; Jackie; Baby, Don
Personnel
Carol Sloane
vocalsCarol Sloane (vocals), Norris Turney (alto sax, flute), Benny Aronov (piano), George Mraz (bass), and Joe LaBarbera (drums)
Album information
Title: Something Cool | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: ChoiCe/Candid