Carol Mennie: I'm Not A Sometime Thing

The album's title track leaves little doubt that Carol Mennie represents a unique voice in jazz and blues. Her passionate interpretation comes from deep down inside as she travels the spectrum of emotional outpouring. She and her husband, guitarist Dom Minasi, have found a way to express classic standards and fresh originals from a different point of view.

An acoustic album with inventive concepts in musical arranging, I'm Not A Sometime Thing features a silky smooth alto voice, surrounded by the delicate strings of bowed bass, cello, and six- and twelve-string acoustic guitars. Together, Ken Filiano, Minasi, and Tomas Ulrich ensure that Mennie's vocal explorations will have no ordinary accompaniment.

Minasi's "Jazz, Jazz, Jazz" starts off the album with a bright aura and a positive spirit. We need more upbeat music such as this in our daily lives. Strolling bass, an interwoven drum kit texture, romping piano and a singer who's both musically accurate and highly expressive leaves a lasting impression. The session ends with a classic piece, "Lover Man." Mennie and her ensemble make the standard sizzle as it's never done before.

Another original, "Who Needs You," contains the lyric "Who needs another singer, singing shooby-shooby doo?" While it's a tongue-in-cheek message, Minasi's composition belies the fact that we need creative artists who give jazz a new look. Mennie's heartfelt contributions and her band's creative accompaniment give I'm Not A Sometime Thing the power of persuasion. Her debut as leader comes highly recommended.

Audio samples and more are available here .