Articles

Daily articles carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. Read our popular and future articles.

ALBUM REVIEW August 20, 2018

Roseanna Vitro: Tell Me The Truth

Read "Tell Me The Truth" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

It is completely fitting that vocalist Roseanna Vitro conceive of and release a recording devoted to the music of the American South. But, this is not just any thoughtlessly-assembled concept recording. Vitro is the master of intelligently programmed and produced thematic albums as evidenced by: Catching Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles (Telarc, 1997); The Time of My Life: Roseanna Vitro Sings the Songs of Steve Allen (Seabreeze, 1999); Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans (A Records, 2001); The Delirium ...

ALBUM REVIEW September 29, 2014

Roseanna Vitro: Clarity: Music of Clare Fischer

By C. Michael Bailey

Roseanna Vitro is a “singer's singer." What does that mean? It means she is so excellent and still warranting much more attention. Her deep and precise alto is perfectly tuned and balanced. Her phrasing is textbook. This is what a jazz singer sounds like. But Vitro's skill set does not stop at vocal prowess. She is also a crack arranger, programmer and music journalist. That is a wealth of grace and talent from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Vitro's ...

INTERVIEW August 1, 2011

Roseanna Vitro: Following Her Muse

By Dan Bilawsky

While the back panel of vocalist Roseanna Vitro's The Music Of Randy Newman (Motéma, 2011) says “File Under: Jazz/Pop/Vocals," those labels don't do her justice. Vitro's vocals are a conduit to the very core of American music--from blues and rock to soul and jazz--and her recorded output over the past three decades speaks to her talents and wide-ranging abilities in all of these arenas. Some vocalists who have been dubbed “jazz singers" are afraid to move outside of the borders ...

ALBUM REVIEW June 2, 2011

Roseanna Vitro: The Music of Randy Newman

By C. Michael Bailey

Randy Newman is an American treasure hidden in plain sight. An Academy and Grammy Award-winning soundtrack composer since the 1980s, a decade earlier, Newman established himself as a preeminent American song writer with Randy Newman (Reprise, 1968), 12 Songs (Reprise, 1970), and Sail Away (Reprise, 1972), and his songs have been covered by everyone from Three Dog Night to Joe Cocker. Few popular American songwriters have captured Americana as well as Newman. Singer Roseanna Vitro and Newman ...

ALBUM REVIEW May 18, 2011

Roseanna Vitro: The Music Of Randy Newman

By Dan Bilawsky

With Randy Newman's long-awaited Songbook Vol. 2 (Nonesuch, 2011) and vocalist Roseanna Vitro's album-length salute to his music hitting stores a week apart, it would seem that it's time for revived interest in all things Newman. While the singer/songwriter's release is a solo journey through his own catalog, Vitro's album presents ten of his pieces dressed in newly tailored arrangements from pianist Mark Soskin. Vitro touches on material from throughout Newman's storied career, but she tends to avoid ...

LIVE REVIEW October 24, 2006

Roseanna Vitro Quartet: Live at The Kitano

By Michael P. Gladstone

Roseanna Vitro Quartet The Kitano New York, NY October 7-8, 2006Tucked away on New York City's prestigious Park Avenue is The Kitano Hotel, a beautiful Japanese-styled hostelry providing a respite from the clamor of midtown Manhattan. Within the confines of the hotel is an intimate and visually pleasing lounge that presents jazz music on Wednesdays and weekends. In June, 2006, Artistic Manager Gino Moratti assumed responsibility for building the jazz program at the ...

ALBUM REVIEW July 9, 2006

Roseanna Vitro: Live At The Kennedy Center

By Suzanne Lorge

Roseanna Vitro is on tour throughout the U.S. these days, promoting her new CD, Live At The Kennedy Center. She gave two performances in New York recently, the CD's launch at The Blue Note on May 29 and an all-Porter tribute show at The Jolly Madison Hotel's Whaler Bar on the composer's birthday June 9. Porter didn't show, but one wonders what he would make of the metamorphosis in jazz singing that has occurred since his heyday as a jazz ...