Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mark Robinson: Some Small Dive
Mark Robinson: Some Small Dive
ByHe's got it all: emotional depth, distinctive phrasingoccasionally a tad off-kilter, but never distractingly soand a pure and unaffected straightforward zest of delivery. He's a vocalist obviously in love with the task he's taken on.
The disc's title is taken from a line in Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life": "I'll live a lush life, In some small dive..." You could call that tune the highlight, but the set is full of them: Henry Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses," "A Ghost of a Chance," the Gershwins' "Embraceable You," the Henry "Sweets" Edison/Jon Hendricks gem "Centerpiece." For comparisons, Robinson's vocal style is similar to Hendricks', with a bit more buoyancy in the sound.
A beautiful surprise here is Antonio Carlos Jobim's gentle masterpiece "Waters of March." Most vocalists who cover this tune go with the Joao Gilberto hush, but Robinson puts some beef into his rendition, without losing the delicacy. Pianist David Austin works the keys with a tinkling fragility, making for a perfect accompanist/vocalist contrast.
Like the very best in this gameSinatra or Tony BennettRobinson makes it all sound so effortless on this truly superb vocal jazz outing.
Track Listing
East of the Sun; Days of Wine and Roses; I've Got the World on a String; Close Your Eyes; A Ghost of a Chance; I'll Remember You; Lush Life; Embraceable You; I Keep Coming Back to Joe's; Just Friends; I'm Thru With Love; Waters of March; Centerpiece.
Personnel
Mark Robinson
vocalsMark Robinson: vocals; David Austin: piano; Bob Blankenship: drums; Jeffrey Burr: guitar; Noel Jewkes: tenor saxophone; Mark Williams: bass.
Album information
Title: Some Small Dive | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Breaking Even Records
< Previous
Channeling Chet
Next >
Time Lines