Jazz and Blues

What a discovery Karrin Allyson is! The heretofore unknown (to me) diva offers a first-rate blues-jazz fusion that takes the works of a number of prominent singers and makes them her own. From the first of these 13 tracks, John Hendricks's (of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross/Bavan fame) "Moanin," there's not a tune or note that she doesn't make her — nothing sloppy or lazy. On several tracks, she sounds like a sultrier Bonnie Raitt, notably on Raitt's signature tough-chick "Love Me Like a Man." And, like the good ole' Kansas City girl she is, she wails her way through a gritty version of Bobby Troup's standard, "The Meaning of the Blues." One of Allyson's great virtues is the unpredictability, and even slight eccentricity, of her cover choices. Among the distinctive readings on offer here are Oscar Brown Jr.'s (and when — and why — did people stop listening to this him?) "Hum Drum Blues" and Joni Mitchell's "Blue Motel Room." I was particularly taken by her interpretation of Blossom Dearie's "Bye Bye Country Boy," since her voice is so at odds (but, it turns out, only apparently) with Dearie's bell-like, girlish tweet. The Dearie tune is a sign, as is Allyson's lovely, lonely "How Long has This Been Going On," making it pretty clear that, despite the title, this is as much a jazz as a blues album, one whose richness is enhanced by the work of the rhythm section of Mulgrew Miller, Peter Washington and Lewis Nash, as well as the guitar of Danny Embrey. It made me want to dash out and get a copy of Allyson's previous CD, "Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane," atribute to the great saxmaster's legendary 1960s album, "Ballads." That's tribute enough for this one.

Photo Credit: karrin.com