Home »
Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dena DeRose: Another World
Dena DeRose: Another World
In his liner notes to
Another World, singer/pianist Dena DeRose’s second Sharp Nine release, Bruce Crowther affirms that DeRose is a superb Jazz pianist. Not much cause for argument there. He goes on to say she’s a superb Jazz singer too. Well . . . I haven’t heard many of those lately, and good as she is, DeRose comes up a pinch short of “supreme excellence or beauty.” Her main drawback — and this may sound strange — seems to be that she sounds
too calm and self–controlled. In other words, when listening to DeRose sing “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” or “Spring Is Here,” it’s hard to believe she has actually
experienced the sort of heart–wrenching misery conveyed by those lyrics. When Sinatra sang “In the Wee Small Hours,” one could almost feel the aching loneliness and sorrow, and wanted to reach out to comfort him with a tender embrace, miserable wretch that he was. When DeRose sings that and other odes to a broken heart, the impassive response is, “Nicely done, Dena. What’s next?” The point is, it’s not enough merely to sing a lyric; one has to
feel it as well. Okay, so DeRose is no Sinatra (who was, it must be said, superb, no matter what label was hung on him). She’s at least as talented as most of today’s crop of young singers, and once she learns to sing from the heart as well as the diaphragm may yet outdistance many of them. Meanwhile, she has the piano to lean on, which she does remarkably well (the instrumental tracks, “Hi–Fly” and “Whisper Not,” are among the album’s high spots, due in no small measure to DeRose’s artistry at the keyboard). Mention should be made, too, of the supporting cast, which varies from track to track. Burno, Taylor and Sadownick are solidly in the groove, while Wilson, Davis and Jensen make brief but impressive appearances. One man’s admittedly imperfect opinion is that DeRose is at present a more accomplished pianist than singer, but shows bright promise in both spheres.
Track listing: You Don’t Know What Love Is; In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning; More Than You Know; Hi–Fly; You’ve Changed; Spring Is Here; Don’t Go; Whisper Not; Another World; A Beautiful Friendship (55:53).
Personnel
Album information
Title: Another World
| Year Released: 1999
| Record Label: Sharp Nine Records
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to
future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.