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Jackie Ryan: This Heart of Mine

By C. Michael Bailey
January 13, 2004
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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 on the title cut, Truman Capote’s, “Sleepin’ Bee” (with the superb Ernie Watts) and “Maybe September,” where the keyboardist achieves a perfect balance between high, feather-light solos and Ms. Ryan’s dense and smoky timbre.

Ms. Ryan is no novice in the arrangement department either. “Estate,” arranged with Amina Figarova, is set beautifully with Toots Thielmans harmonica. An additional kick is that it is sung in the original Italian, again beautifully. If Italian was not enough, Ms. Ryan knocks down Jobim’s “Anos Dourados” in the original Portuguese, and “Sari” in the original Surinamese. All are beautiful and convey the lyrics, while those lyrics may be incomprehensible. Ms. Ryan could more than likely make German sound divine.

The disc highlight has to be the Duke Ellington/Ben Webster “Jump For Joy,” sounding 1920s and 2020s at the same time. Allen Smith’s muted trumpet lends an almost Vaudeville feel to the song, while John Eiitala’s bass keeps everything very modern (almost post-modern). It is this type of universal musicianship that makes recordings like This Heart of Mine shine.

For more information, please visit Jackie Ryan and OpenArt Records on the web.

Track Listing

* This Heart Of Mine; * Sleepin' Bee; * Estate (Summer); * East Of The Sun; * Jump For Joy; * Make It Last; * Anos Dourados (Golden Years); * Maybe September; * When I Grow Too Old To Dream; * Moon and Sand; * Come Back To Me/Lover Come Back To Me; * Sari (Trieste); * Velas Içadas (Sails); * Seasons of the Heart;

Personnel

Jackie Ryan

vocals

Toots Thielemans

harmonica

Ernie Watts

saxophone, tenor

Amina Figarova, Jon Mayer, Leonard Thompson: piano; Ruth Davies, Darek Oles, John Witala: bass; Omar Clay, Jason Lewis, Roy McCurdy: drums; Bart Plateau: flute; Allen Smith: trumpet; Steve Erquiaga: guitar

Album information

Title: This Heart Of Mine | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: OpenArt Productions

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