Glennis Houston: I'll Reminisce You

Calgary vocalist Glennis Houston follows up her debut album Lies of Handsome Men (2004, Self-Produced) with a warm session of light contemporary vocal jazz on I'll Reminisce You. Unlike the first disc—comprised entirely of standards—Houston designs a repertoire of primarily originals with the incorporation of a handful of cover songs touching on bebop, blues and ballads. This second effort actually began in early 2006 but, life got in the way with family, work, education, pursuing a PhD and other such mundane matters preventing her from fulfilling the goal until now.

The singer fronts a standard piano trio with Calgary musicians Sheldon Zanboer on piano, Robin Tufts on drums and Simon Fisk on the violin-shaped bass bassetto, recording the album in both a studio as well as in a live setting. Armed with silky vocals, Houston begins this adventure with a ballad medley of a Joe Raposo song and a Burke/Van Heusen standard "Being Green, But Beautiful" where the vocalist delivers a measure of emotion along the way. Clifford Brown's up beat classic "Beloved" is in good hands with Houston voicing Meredith d'Ambrosio's lyrics in swinging fashion something this artist does throughout the album.

The first of seven original songs on the disc is the lovely "Lonely without You" followed by "Lullaby for a Boy" and "Since You Walked Out That Door," the first another soft ballad and the latter a bluesy number where the singer reaches. One of the livelier songs on the album, "Oh! Gee!" featuring a swinging Houston and handy solo work from Zanboer and Fisk, is clearly a standout tune but, there's more. The singer's interpretation of the standard "L.O.V.E." and the trio's energetic performance, make this track one of the highlights of the recording.

Other moments of notable mention have to be the cover song "Mockingbird" and Houston's own "Tears of Stone" with the love ballad and title finale song voiced from the heart does indeed leave a lasting impression. Though a long time in the works, songbird Glennis Houston's tasteful performance of traditional vocal jazz on I'll Reminisce You, is well worth the wait. Perhaps her next endeavor may not be as long in coming.

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