Jazz Articles

Jackie Ryan: Listen Here

by C. Michael Bailey
February 25, 2013

There exists an intersection point in a vocal recording where four elements coalesce in excellence to produce a superb recording: the vocal, instrumental, material and sonic. Singer Jackie Ryan's Listen Here exists on this very point. AAJ critic Dan Bilawsky addressed the first two elements in his thoughtful review of Listen Here, calling Ryan, “a force of nature" and her instrumental support, “ damn good," observations easily echoed here and not improved upon. The latter pair of elements deserve a ...

Jackie Ryan with John Clayton & Friends: Listen Here

by Nicholas F. Mondello
January 25, 2013

With Listen Here, vocalist Jackie Ryan offers a diverse and delectable array of Great American Songbook and jazz classics, well-known but not regularly-recorded older hits, and superb original selections. Supported by Grammy Award-winning bassist John Clayton and most able friends (including Clayton's son, pianist Gerald, a three-time Grammy nominee), the overall effort soars. It's a tour de force of talent and taste.Ryan's voice is full, highly resonant and eminently inviting. It is also one of subtle shadings. Her ...

Jackie Ryan: Listen Here

by Dan Bilawsky
January 3, 2013

Jackie Ryan isn't simply a singer; she's a force of nature. Her voice possesses a weighty power, yet soars with grace and ease. Her ability to transmute into different characters and forms, as dictated by the song, lyrics and style, makes her one in a million and she's managed to parlay that unique gift into project after successful project with some of the best in the business backing her up. This date is no exception. Ryan recruited ...

Jackie Ryan: Doozy

by Larry Taylor
November 4, 2009

This two-CD set is vocalist Jackie Ryan's third recording and it's definitely a keeper. On the heels of her 2007 success, You And The Night And The Music (Open Art Productions), which landed on the charts, also appears destined for success.

With her clear, rich voice, Ryan undoubtedly has one of jazz's great vocal instruments--no low-note warble or reedy high notes for her and with a 3-1/2 octave range, she handles each song with aplomb. In addition, she has a ...

Jackie Ryan: You and the Night and the Music

by Joel Roberts
November 15, 2008

San Francisco-based chanteuse Jackie Ryan has a smoky contralto, an impressively wide vocal range and an actress' flair for delivering dramatic lyrics. That adds up to a winning combination on this collection of love songs. Backed by a top-notch trio of Los Angeles musicians, Ryan delivers straight-ahead performances of 14 mostly familiar romantic tunes. She shows she can swing hard on Cole Porter's “You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," sing with deep feeling on a ...

Jackie Ryan: You and the Night and the Music

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
August 27, 2007

On most vocal recordings, singers are accompanied by their usual band, perhaps with a famous guest sitting in for a track or two. If the singer and band are good, the result is pleasing--but when the singer is excellent, the band is a crackling, long-term trio on its own, and the guest is a legend, it vaults the whole enterprise into an altogether different category.

All of these elements are here, on Jackie Ryan's third release for Open ...

Jackie Ryan: This Heart of Mine

by C. Michael Bailey
January 13, 2004

The thing that first struck me about this fine recording was the concrete accompaniment provided Ms. Ryan. Solid, effortless swing is what propels this veteran vocalist through This Heart of Mine.  The high quality of this swing, which I credit to crack arranging, is that much more a surprise when considering that the arrangements on this recording were very much a concerted effort.  All are uniformly fine, but I must tip my hat to pianist Jon Meyer for his astute direction ...

Jackie Ryan: This Heart of Mine

by Roger Crane
January 5, 2004

You simply cannot sing a song any better than Jackie Ryan does. And you cannot make a better jazz vocal CD than this one. It is perfect. If that sounds too reverent, let me change the praise to “perfectly wonderful.” Each of the elements is truly wonderful: the choice of songs, the arrangements, accompanying musicians, even the ordering of the songs. And, most importantly, of course, Jackie Ryan! She is a smart, sophisticated vocalist for grown ups and this is ...

Jackie Ryan: This Heart Of Mine

by Jim Santella
October 16, 2003

Listen to Jackie Ryan's voice and consider this: how important is it to you that vocal jazz come from the heart?

Ryan’s latest release proves that nothing works better on your soul than the real thing. With three teams of top-rate West Coast sidemen and welcome appearances from several key guests, Ryan’s straight-ahead program settles in with a charm seldom seen in today’s crowded singer’s market. She’s genuine.

Slow ballads, gentle bossa novas, and ...

Jackie Ryan: Passion Flower

by Roger Crane
June 1, 2002

One listen to Jackie Ryan’s voice takes you back to the World War II era when your grandfather, or maybe your uncles, were off fighting our enemies and the big bands were the popular music of the day. Her deep honey rich contralto is the one you could be hearing as you dance at a USO-sponsored shindig in the middle 1940s, while a janitor is sweeping up the shreds of confetti. But, although Ryan’s voice and her choice of songs ...