Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Diana Perez: It's Happenin'

181

Diana Perez: It's Happenin'

By

Sign in to view read count
Diana Perez: It's Happenin'
Harlem-born vocalist Diana Perez offers her talents as a storyteller with this, her third CD, a collection of well-chosen standards and jazz classics that show off fine vocal abilities. Backing her up is David Hazeltine (piano), Steve Davis (trombone), Ron Horton (trumpet), Jed Levy (tenor sax, flute), Nat Reeves (bass) and Joe Farnsworth (drums), Hazeltine also responsible for several of the arrangements.

Perez possesses a rich, full-bodied voice with capable intonation and shading and a gift for phrasing. At times, her diction wavers and she tends to leave out the little connective words. On "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning," she makes a mistake in the lyric twice which throws off the rhyme scheme.

Her material includes (among other standards) this year's very much recorded "Nature Boy" done with a Latin feel and "Blame It On My Youth"; both are done simply with attention to the stories. There is also "Detour Ahead," a song famously featured as an instrumental on Bill Evans' Recorded Live at the Village Vanguard album, but seldom done with the lyrics. Perez is very much at ease with two vocalese-type songs: "Farmer's Market" and "Milestones" (with lyrics by Annie Ross on the former and Giacomo Gates on the latter).

Although this CD is a studio recording, there is a feel akin to a live performance. There is a great deal of instrumental presence and particularly notable is Levy's flute work on "Detour Ahead" and Horton's fiery trumpet on "Milestones." For the liner notes, Perez has made comments on her choices of material and her feelings about the songs. This CD is a tasteful package both vocally and instrumentally and insures future storytelling by the vocalist.

Track Listing

Will You Still Be There; Blame It On My Youth; Corcovado; In The Wee Small Hours; Farmers Market; Detour Ahead; Milestones; Nature Boy; Perdido.

Personnel

Perez
vocals

Diana Perez: vocals; David Hazeltine: piano; Joe Farnsworth: drums; Nat Reeves: bass; Steve Davis: trombone; Ron Horton: trumpet; Jed Levy: tenor sax, flute.

Album information

Title: It's Happenin' | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Zoho Music

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.