Karrin Allyson :In Blue

KARRIN ALLYSON
IN BLUE

Concord Records

Karrin Allyson has been consistently recognized as one of the strongest jazz singers to emerge during the '90s. Her debut album, I Didn't Know About You is somewhat uneven but features a wide range of material from contemporary songs by Randy Newman and Janis Ian to standards. Her second release, Sweet Home Cookin', done in 1994, made good on the promise of the debut with swinging, spontaneous vocals on a selection of tunes that included "One Note Samba", "I Cover the Waterfront", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", "Dindi", and "In a Sentimental Mood". The followup albums, Azure-Te, Collage, and Daydream showed the singer continuing to develop in emotional range and musical ability, even if there were no real surprises.

In 1999 Allyson set the stage for her big move into the top echelon of jazz singers with the exceptional release From Paris to Rio, a collection of French and Brazilian songs. It was not the first time listeners had heard her sing in French or Portuguese, but the incredible collection of tunes by Jacques Brel, Caetano Veloso, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and others demonstrated that Allyson's was a totally mature talent. Last year brought Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane, a recreation of the classic Coltrane album with a few additional songs added. The album received rave reviews and lots of airplay. Anyone who saw Allyson performing these songs (as well as a good cross-section of her previous work) last year couldn't help but feel that a major jazz vocal talent had arrived.

Now comes In Blue, about which the singer says: "This album is not a 'traditional blues album' but rather it’s a collection of tunes I love, that have to do with having the blues—no matter what the form". In other words, it's an album about shades of blue, not about the blues as a musical style. It opens the project up in the same way that the inclusion of extra material on Ballads allowed Allyson to make it a personal statement as much as a tribute to John Coltrane. While romantic entanglements are a common topic of blues songs (and they certainly surface here) there are other topics as well—loneliness, life on the road, life's general difficulties—and they are included in songs like "Moanin'", "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy", "Hum Drum Blues", and "Blue Motel Room". It's interesting that both Allyson and Cassandra Wilson set out to make a blues-oriented album in their most recent outings. Wilson's album turned out to be the kind of eclectic, musical and cultural potpourri that has been the hallmark of Allyson's releases, while Allyson delivers an album that maintains a narrower concept, even though it is much more of a "late night joint" blues recording than one drenched in the spirit of the Mississipi Delta.

That makes sense, of course, since Allyson's adoptive home is Kansas City, once a wide-open town that was home to the best blues and jazz musicians of the time, fostering the swinging marriage of the two musical forms in a way that hadn't quite been done before. The result was Kansas City Swing, and its spirit definitely informs In Blue. There is a soulful feeling that is part blues, part swing, part gospel in Allyson's interpretations of "Moanin'", "Long As You're Livin'", and "Hum Drum Blues" that makes them more than simply "bluesy". In fact, the least convincing performance here may be the most straightforward—"Evil Gal Blues", made famous by Dinah Washington, while interpreted ably by Allyson, just doesn't quite come off. It's a quibble, though, since the overall spirit and feeling of In Blue is seemingly just what Karrin intended.

Allyson's cover of Wes Montgomery's "West Coast Blues" is a joy to hear, and she obviously revels in the lyrics to the song, completely at home with its sentiments about the difficulties of life on the road. A similar theme is explored in Joni Mitchell's "Blue Motel Room" from the jazz-influenced Hejira album. Karrin's version allows us to appreciate the poetic lyrics without the sometimes-distracting element of Mitchell's eccentric phrasing. Both tracks also offer excellent musical interludes; on "West Coast Blues" there is a nice Fender Rhodes solo by pianist Milgrew Miller, while on "Blue Motel Room" long-time collaborator Danny Embrey offers up an introspective guitar solo.

Blossom Dearie's "Bye Bye Country Boy" again makes use of the Fender Rhodes, and Allyson sings the sprightly melody with lightness and spirit. One very happy outcome of the recent spate of female jazz vocalists has been the need for each singer to find ignored or under performed songs to avoid being one of hundreds of singers doing, say, "Someone to Watch Over Me." The result has been the chance for those who do not frequent jazz clubs or cabarets to rediscover these songs via new recordings. Part of the legacy bequeathed by Cassandra Wilson will surely be the opening up of the repertoire available to jazz singers. "Love Me Like a Man" , a song recorded by Bonnie Raitt, is perfect in the context of this album and a natural choice for Allyson's voice (she previously recorded Raitt's "Give It Up Or Let Me Go") but would have been excluded from consideration by many singers in the past. On the other hand, there are gems that are straight ahead but not heard nearly often enough. Hearing a beauty like the Tommy Flanagan/Jay Leonhart-penned "My Bluebird" is well worth the price of admission.

Another reason to appreciate In Blue is the care and thought that has gone into the musical arrangements and the music in general. The arrangements support and compliment Allyson's voice and her interpretations rather than seeking to make an impression in their own right. That might seem like simple common sense, but it is not a forgone conclusion in the era of recordings like Diana Krall's Look of Love and Natalie Cole's Ask A Woman Who Knows, both of which utilize overdone arrangements that serve to call attention to the fact that the singers whom they support have pretty but unremarkable voices. Allyson's voice is anything but unremarkable. Listen to the opening of the first track, "Moanin'" on which she intones a wordless, world-weary, sensual scat over the rumble of Peter Washington's bass. Check out the way she effortlessly navigates the wealth of lyrics and 5/4 time signature of Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Long As You're Living". The sole non-bluesy number here, the Gershwin ballad "How Long Has This Been Going On?" , harkens back to the mastery she displayed on Ballads, lest anyone forget.

It is encouraging to witness Karrin Allyson's success as an artist who has labored long and hard to develop the musical chops and emotional depth evident in each of her performances. There is clearly some hope when a large group of people are attracted to the artistry, expressiveness, and poetry of her work. In Blue is a success on its own terms, but it is also a success because it demonstrates that Ballads was no fluke (which many have known all along) and that Allyson remains committed to her art. That is welcome news indeed.

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