The Harry Allen Orchestra: With Roses

Harry Allen is a tenor saxophonist's tenor saxophonist with an elegant tone and swinging style in the manner of Scott Hamilton, Lester Young or Ben Webster. He has a well-rounded discography of over 70 releases as a leader and many others as a sideman. Over the course of his prolific career, Allen has appeared with the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, James Taylor and guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and John Pizzarelli. In this release, With Roses, Allen applies his considerable talents to a recording of ten original songs composed by Roger Frankham with co-writers Bruce Brown, Roger Schore and Mark Winkler.

In fleshing out the way he wanted to approach the music, Allen thought it would be appropriate to utilize two horn sections, one focusing on jazz horns consisting of two trumpets, two tenor saxophones and one trombone; while the other would be a classical horn section featuring two flutes, two clarinets and a bass clarinet. Additionally, most tracks feature New York-based vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan whose full-bodied voice seems tailor-made for these songs.

The opener "It All Catches Up with You in the End" is a solid swinger from the first beat, and the chart takes full advantage of the jazz horn section. The snappy lyrics by Bruce Brown are delivered in an expressive fashion by Yeghiazaryan's distinctive voice. The follow-on track "Be The One" has a lilting 5/4 time signature which fits hand-in-glove with the structure of the classical horn section, and offers some solo space to bass clarinetist Dan Block. Allen chips in with a tenor saxophone interjection, which is no less calming despite its brevity.

What a difference the adverb "Here" or "When" makes. For example the Roger Frankham composition "Here in Rome" compared to the Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh song "When in Rome"; the former is a ballad about lost love with the opening couplet, "Here in Rome / I am just another tourist lost at sea." And, although the arrangement is carefully crafted and well executed, it is hard to escape the feeling of melancholy which Yeghiazaryan's vocal imbues to the lyrics. "When in Rome" is a cheerful little ditty performed at a breezy tempo with the closing couplet, "When in Rome / I do as the Romans do."

Written as a waltz, the title track "With Roses" has lyrics by the well-known singer-songwriter Mark Winkler. Yeghiazaryan gives the lyrics a tender reading with Allen's incisive tenor saxophone interjected for a few bars. The closer is "On My Way" with lyrics by Frankham and music by Winkler & Frankham. This is an infectious number with a toe-tapping tempo. Yeghiazaryan's reading of the lyrics is in keeping with the composers' intent and, like a cup of coffee, "good to the last drop."