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Melissa Sweeney: Golden Thread
by Michael P. Gladstone
Golden Thread is a winning combination of Melissa Sweeney's vocals and pianist/arranger Bill Cunliffe's contributions as chief architect.
This project alternates between lush string arrangements with Cunliffe's piano and jazz nonet accompanyment. Sweeney begins with a thoughtfully included verse on the Clare-Gorney standard “You Are My Thrill" [sic]. Cunliffe and Sweeney cop the Nina Simone arrangement of “My Baby Just Cares." When the track begins with that Basie-like piano vamp, one's reaction is to start toe-tapping and finger-popping. ...
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by Dan McClenaghan
The lady, Melissa Sweeney, has a voice, warm, rich-toned, mature; and she had a childhood that sounds like heaven--a “record fiend" mother who provided her with the sounds of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Nat King Cole, MJQ, Ella, Anita O'Day; and then a tender-age job at KBIG-FM jazz station in Los Angeles and the access to thousands of promo copies of jazz LPs. A voice, a feeling for the history of jazz, and the savy/good fortune of hooking up with ...
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