Jazz Articles

Connie Evingson & the John Jorgenson Quintet: All the Cats Join In

by C. Michael Bailey
August 12, 2015

Minneapolis-native Connie Evingson is one of the most durable and reliable jazz singers performing. She has had a spate of fine recordings in the last decade, including: Let it Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles (Minnehaha, 2003), Gypsy in My Soul (Minnehaha, 2005), Stockholm Sweetnin'(Minnehaha, 2006), Little Did I Dream: Songs By Dave Frishberg (Minnehaha, 2008), and Sweet Happy Life (Minnehaha, 2012). Presently, Evingson continues her trend of exceptional recordings with All the Cats Join In. ...

Connie Evingson: All The Cats Join In

by Dan Bilawsky
June 10, 2015

Were it not for her decision to remain in Minnesota, Connie Evingson would surely be a better-known jazz vocalist. Over the course of her previous releases she's proven herself to be a prepossessing singer capable of getting to the marrow of a lyric without pretense or posturing. And she's remarkably good at putting together programs, be it a salute to The Beatles, a trip through the work of Norman Gimbel, a tribute to Peggy Lee, or a collection of well-organized ...

Connie Evingson: Sweet Happy Life

by Nicholas F. Mondello
October 19, 2012

There are surprises galore and much to be enjoyed in Sweet Happy Life, from fine Minneapolis-based vocalist, Connie Evingson. Perhaps the most immediate of those discoveries, even before a listen, is the canon of work from Grammy and Academy Award-winning lyricist, Norman Gimbel, to whose oeuvre this CD is a tribute.With Sweet Happy Life Evingson and her mates superbly cover some of the most well-known selections in popular music. The fascinating thing is that Gimbel, while not as ...

Connie Evingson: Sweet Happy Life

by Dan Bilawsky
September 30, 2012

Norman Gimbel's name may not register with a lot of educated jazz fans, yet he's linked to some of the most important songs and artists in the music. Gimbel wrote the lyrics attached to harmonica ace Toots Thielemans' best known number, “Bluesette," captured Michel Legrand's musical moods in words on “I Will Wait For You" and “Watch What Happens," and opened up English-language ears to the world of bossa nova. His lyrics for many of Antonio Carlos Jobim's songs are ...

Connie Evingson & The Hot Club of Sweden: Stockholm Sweetnin’

by C. Michael Bailey
August 4, 2012

After the release of the top-drawer Sweet Happy Life (Minnehhaha Music, 2012), it was worth pursuing the All About Jazz review archives to see if there were any recent Connie Evingson releases we neglected to consider. Imagine our luck that a significant recording has been overlooked, one that appeals directly to Evingson's Scandinavian heritage: 2006's Stockholm Sweetnin'. Recorded with The Hot Club of Sweden, Evingson settles into an uncommon comfort level that allows her to relax and ...

Connie Evingson: Sweet Happy Life

by C. Michael Bailey
July 30, 2012

Singer Connie Evingson is a master of thematic programming. Her last several recordings have all been predicated on specific themes that showed great consideration in their concepts. Recordings released since the new millennium include: Little Did I Dream: Songs by Dave Frishberg (Minnehaha Music, 2008); Stockholm Sweetnin' (Minnehaha Music, 2006); Gypsy in my Soul (Minnehaha Music, 2005); The Secret of Christmas (Minnehaha Music, 2003); and Let It Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles (Summit Records, 2003). All are uniformly ...

Connie Evingson: Little Did I Dream: Songs by Dave Frishberg

by C. Michael Bailey
April 14, 2008

The late Tip O'Neill once said, .."All politics is local." This certainly can be said for jazz also. All of America's metropolitan areas have a jazz contingency. Chicago has Kurt Elling, Patricia Barber, and Von Freeman; Washington DC has Buck Hill; and New York has who knows how many? The Twin Cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul, also has noted jazz talent in Dave Frishberg and vocalist Connie Evingson.

Pianist/vocalist Frishberg, a native of St. Paul, has a long ...

Connie Evingson: Gypsy in My Soul

by C. Michael Bailey
April 17, 2005

2005 should be declared the Year of the Female Jazz Vocalist. In this first quarter we have seen new releases from Cheryl Bentyne, Kate McGarry, Patti Wicks, and Dena DeRose. All are notable artists whose new recordings are equally notable. Add to this Connie Evingson's beautifully provocative Gypsy in My Soul, and one can only be encouraged about the state of art in jazz vocals.

Based in the Twin Cities, Evingson chooses much more exotic climes for the ...

Connie Evingson: Gypsy in My Soul

by Jim Santella
April 3, 2005

Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli gave us a timeless chapter in jazz history that emphasized acoustic music with cultural influences from various parts of the world. To that lovely aroma Connie Evingson adds her mellifluous voice and intimate way with a melody. She interprets songs that carry a nostalgic memory, and she carves each one with a distinctive flair. Seamless phrasing, smoky resonance and a genuine caring give her presentation a natural quality.

“Gypsy in My Soul" swings ...

Connie Evingson: The Secret Of Christmas

by Jim Santella
December 5, 2003

Scat singing, interpreting familiar lyrics, and inserting fresh, new ideas into her holiday program, Connie Evingson offers a personal gift for everyone. The Jazz lover appreciates the strength of her vocal instrument and the cohesive manner in which she integrates her artistic companions. The Swing lover appreciates the bright outlook that she’s applied to traditional holiday fare. The Gospel lover appreciates her deep, searing, spiritual portrayal; and the Blues lover appreciates the sincerity of her interpretation.

With ”chestnuts ...