Suzanne Pittson: Emerge Dancing

Emerge Dancing is a fascinatingly intriguing album from New York vocalist (and pianist/composer) Suzanne Pittson and her husband, pianist Jeff Pittson. Primarily a duo album, the pair is joined on a trio of tracks by their son, violist Evan Pittson. Team Pittson has delivered a buffet of jazz, pop, rare-find and well-known standard fare that emerges as 24k performance and production gold.

The frequently-recorded John Lennon and Paul McCartney gem "Blackbird" opens this session with the duo exploring its textures and lyric nuances. Suzanne Pittson delivers the tune with just enough drama and engagement with the lyric to give it a new sheen. Jeff elaborates beautifully, both in accompaniment and in a fine solo. The upbeat "Everything I Love," from the Cole Porter songbook, has Pittson handily delivering a swinging portrait with some sizzling scat, prancing over and alternating with Jeff's comps and keyed responses. The Pittsons deliver a rather dramatic take on Stevie Wonder's documentary film score piece, "The Secret Life of Plants." Suzanne lithely bounces the intervallic structure of Wonder's melody and delivers the tune's poetry with fervor. This track was powerful in its original presentation and is here, as well.

Suzanne Pittson has a uniquely intriguing vocal instrument. She is upbeat, on-point with her pitch and diction and effervescently hip, both in terms of her interpretation and her scatting. Plus, she's a fun listen. Jeff is equally up to the musical tasks and, whether soloing or backing, has the piano firmly in his creative grasp. Savvy listeners will notice that the pair has a combined positive vibe that harkens back to the joyously swinging Jackie Cain and Roy Kral.

"It All Goes 'Round and 'Round" is a beautiful ballad take wherein Pittson sing-speaks the lyrics, accompanied by Jeff's overdubbed Toots Thielemans-like harmonica responses and lush piano. Oliver Nelson's classic "Blues and the Abstract Truth," here a family affair, gets off with a fierce Vince Guaraldi-ish ostinato before Suzanne and son Evan's viola-doubled melody and lyric burn; and there is no letup in sight. A fine viola solo erupts, including Evan copping a lick trumpeter Freddie Hubbard played on the original recording. A spectacularly hip track. The rarely recorded ballad "I Get Sentimental Over Nothing" written by Suzanne's aunt, Minette Allton, and Nat King Cole, has the Pittsons delivering a beautiful take on the tune. A brilliant production selection this. "Without a Song" is presented up-tempo and joyously swinging, with an energized scat from Pittson. Jeff Pittson picks up on the bouncing joy with an equally hip ride. The pair reach back to the '50s again for "Love Is the Thing," with Slide Hampton's melody and Mike Holober's modern applied lyrics. Instrumentally known as "Frame for the Blues," the tune was a brassy 1958 hit for the Maynard Ferguson band. The Pittsons deliver it in a noir smoky-bar blue. Suzanne is red-lipstick-seductively swinging. Catch Jeff's last few tinkles up where the cigarette burns are. The very hopeful "What Can I Do?" ends the session on a slower, reflective note with Evan's overdubbed viola adding a splendid touch.

Whether one dances, cuts in or sits out listening, Emerge Dancing is a supremely well-performed presentation all around.

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