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Rita Edmond: A Glance at Destiny
ByGifted with a beautiful, four-octave range voice, Edmond seems perfectly suited for jazz, stating "Once I finally started singing jazz, I knew that this is what I had to do,...what I was put here for." Serving as both producer and arranger on this project, Edmond made all the major decisions, including the personnel and solo duties. Using two overlapping rhythm sections, the singer features pianists Joel Scott and Lew Mathews, bassists James Leary and Edwin Livingston, with drummer Albert Tootie Heath handling the stick work. Guitarists Greg Poree and Jacques Lasure share duties, while trumpeter Nolan Shaheed, flautist Z. Sean Johnson and the versatile, in-demand saxophonist Rickey Woodard appear sparingly on the disc .
Borrowing a host of songs from The Great American Songbook, the repertoire includes the beautiful love ballad "Gentle Rain," Carl Fischer's classic "You've Changed," the Gershwin brothers' "S' Wonderful" and Gene De Paul/ Don Raye's jazz standard, "You Don't Know What Love Is." Choosing fourteen songs in varied tempos of light jazz, the singer also touches on the Brazilian genre briefly, featuring one of Antonio Carlos Jobim's oft-recorded tunes in "Triste," where Poree and Johnson are showcased with measured solos.
Woodard is a standout player on several pieces, none better than "Just Friends," though his performance on "This Can't Be Love" is also first-rate. While the players are provided with a good portion of solos space throughout, this is still Edmond's album, and her commanding approach to the lyrics leaves no doubt who is in charge.
A Glance at Destiny provides a highly enjoyable musical experience for those favoring light vocal jazz. The title may, in fact, refer to Edmond's vision of her own future, delivering a pleasurable selection of songs that offer but a glimpse of the singer's destiny.
Track Listing
Sunny; You've Changed; Gentle Rain; It Might As Well Be Spring; In Case You Didn't Know; It Could Happen To You; S Wonderful; Here's To Life; Easy Living; Triste; Just Friends; You Don't Know What Love Is; This Can't Be Love; You're My Wings.
Personnel
Rita Edmond
vocalsRita Edmond: vocals; Lew Matthews: piano (2-4, 6, 10-13); Joel Scott: piano (1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 14); James Leary: bass (1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 14), Edwin Livingston: bass (2-4, 6 , 10-13); Greg Poree: guitar (10); Jacques Lasure: guitar (5, 14); Rickey Woodard: tenor saxophone (3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13); Nolan Shaheed: trumpet (5, 7, 9); Z. Sean Johnson: flute (10).
Album information
Title: A Glance at Destiny | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: T.O.T.I. Music Co.