Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Diana Perez: It's Happenin'
Diana Perez: It's Happenin'
ByPerez 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
vocalsDiana 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
< Previous
Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversa...
Next >
Groovin' with Junior