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Melissa Sweeney: Golden Thread
The set opens with "You're My Thrill," lushly-arranged, with a Lady in Satin atmosphere. The arrangements on Golden Thread alternate between classy string treatments including "You're My Thrill," to a jazzier piano/bass/drums trio with great horn solos on several tunes, including the marvelous rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Sex Kills", with the Rob Lockart's saxophone smoldering around Sweeney's telling of Mitchell's dark tale.
"My Baby Just Cares" has the sparer arrangement, an insouciant bounce, the trombone dancing with Sweeney's vocal in front of the sparkle of Cunliffe's piano work. Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark" rolls along in a relaxed mode, with drummer Joe La Barbera providing some beautifully subtle brushwork.
The set has standards, a Brazilian sound (the Jobim/Gilberto tune "Vivo Sonhando"), French lyrics ("Pavane"), and first-rate pop songs ("Sex Kills and Paul Simon's "Where I Belong"), wrapped in classy arrangements with a gorgeous voice out front.
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Track Listing
You Are My Thrill, My Baby Just Cares. Golden Thread, Sex Kills, I Have Dreamed, Skylark, Pavane, Sweet Lorraine, Viva Sonhando, Why Don't You Do Right, Where I Belong
Personnel
Melissa Sweeney--vocals; Bill Cunliffe--piano and arrangements; George Bohanon--trombone solo; Joe La Barbera--drums; Derek Oles and Tom Warrington--bass; John Chiodini--guitar; Paulino DaCosta--percussion; Ricky Woodard, Rob Lockart, Bob shepard--sax solos; John Yoakum, Brian Scanlon--woodwinds; John Mascon--French horn; Peter Kent--concertmaster; Amy Schulman--harp
Album information
Title: Golden Thread | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Azica Records
About Melissa Sweeney
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