Jazz Station - Vocal CD of the Month - "Dancing with Johnny"

Jazz Station
Arnaldo DeSouteiro

Vocal CD of the Month Linda Ciofalo: "Dancing with Johnny" (Lucky Jazz) 2010

Rating: *****
A very pleasant surprise, full of surprises thanks to the creative arrangements (by pianist John DiMartino and Linda herself) and, of course, the lovely vocal & instrumental performances.
On this self-produced release, Ciofalo is backed by Grammy winner - and a current member of the CTI All Stars 2010 Band - Brian Lynch on trumpet, John DiMartino (piano), John Benitez (bass), Ernesto Simpson (drums), Little Johnny Rivero (percussion), Paul Meyers (nylon string guitar), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar) and Joel Frahm (tenor & soprano saxophones).

A Johnny Mercer Songbook -- showcasing the lyricist's genius with such diverse partners as Victor Schertzinger, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Henry Mancini, Robert Emmett Dolan, Gordon Jenkins, Ralph Burns, Woody Herman & Rube Bloom -- couldn't go wrong in terms of repertoire, but what makes this CD really so special is the fresh appeal of each & every track, with Linda Ciofalo's bell-clear beautiful voice shining throughout the 52-minute program of 13 tunes, all recorded in a single session, on October 20, 2009 in NY.

My personal favorite tracks are the exciting latin-tinged scores of "Tangerine" (on which the intoxicating percussion work of Little Johnny Rivero, combining congas & timbales, sounds like a meeting of Mongo Santamaria with Tito Puente) and "That Old Black Magic," both also featuring Lynch (undoubtedly one of the Top 5 trumpeters in the contemporary jazz scene) and Frahm.

But there are many other highlights, such as the Diana Krall-like sensual approach to "Talk To Me Baby" (done as a slow bossa nova, with Paul Meyers, a veteran of Thiago de Mello's Amazon band, playing acoustic guitar a la Joao Gilberto) and the up-tempo bossa take of "Day In, Day Out," again embellished by Meyers' syncopated guitar beat.

The magnificent "Early Autumn" becomes a quasi-bolero, "Skylark" receives a bluesy feel with Minucci evoking memories of the late Eric Gale, and "P.S. I Love You" (a song that Diana Krall has been singing on her current "Quiet Nights" tour and plans to record on her next album) appears here with Rivero adding bongos to add a soft latin spice to this sumptuous Gordon Jenkins ballad. Pure delight!
For additional infos and pics, please check: http://jazzstation-oblogdearnaldodesouteiros.blogspot.com/2010/06/linda-ciofalos-new-cd-tribute-to-johnny.html

Linda Ciofalo’s West Coast Tour Features Her CD Tribute To Johnny Mercer, Dancing With Johnny

(New York, NY June 22, 2010) –Linda Ciofalo makes her West Coast tour to sing selections from her latest CD, Dancing With Johnny. Ciofalo understands how to deliver a great lyric and on Dancing With Johnny, a special tribute to Johnny Mercer, she shines. Since Mercer is known for his endless brilliance as a first class writer of over 1,000 songs, Ciofalo is breath taking in her element. The songs showcase her tasteful vocal style and Ciofalo allows the strength of the material to serve as the musical foundation upon which her strong, yet distinct vocals sit comfortably as the centerpiece of this timeless collection of standards. But what makes this recording even more rewarding is that all of the compositions have a Latin twist that spark the desire to move to each memorizing Mercer lyric. Deep rooted in the South, Mercer’s award winning songs paint exquisite images of nature, romance, haunting memories and love. “Johnny Mercer’s lyrics dance on a singer’s lips,” said Ciofalo. “His words are intoxicating and a sheer pleasure to sing.”

Dancing With Johnny also features Grammy winner Brian Lynch (trumpet) and stellar musicians such as John DiMartino (piano), John Benitez (bass), Ernesto Simpson (drums), Little Johnny Rivero (percussion), Paul Meyers (nylon string guitar), Chieli Minucci (electric guitar and effects) and Joel Frahm (saxophones). The Mercer material is a welcome addition to Ciofalo's repertoire, which ranges from such diverse sources as bluesman John Lee Hooker to Broadway’s Rodgers and Hammerstein. What a bold statement to her versatility that her voice can be both hard-hitting and gutsy or lend itself to pure romance. Andrea Canter of JazzPolice.com writes, "Her vibrant swing can turn gloom into joy; her storyteller’s passion recounts love lost and found; her voice moves easily from sultry to salty to sassy.”

Stops on her West Coast tour include Tula’s in Seattle (June 25), Jazzvox Concert with Randy Halberstadt in Camano Island, WA (June 27), Rasselas Jazz Club with the David Udolf Trio in San Francisco (June 29) and on July 1st at the Crowne Plaza in the Brasserie Jazz Lounge where Linda will be joined by some of Los Angeles's premier musicians, Otmaro Ruiz (piano), John Belzaguy (bass) and Jimmy Branly (drums).

Linda’s love for Mercer songs started early on when she had to learn songs for a big band and after being introduced to the famous Mercer hit “Skylark” she was swept away because of the beauty of the lyrics. “Singers have a special gift,” said Ciofalo in a recent interview “because we get to use words along with the music. In fact, it’s our job to deliver those lyrics with emotion and sincerity.” Linda has been devoted to Mercer’s music doing programs for many years that feature the great artist’s lyrics and music. She was hoping to release this CD on his centennial but just missed it by one year. Commented Ciofalo,“It was my intent to tribute Johnny Mercer with a recording which is both romantic and moving. We hope it will make your heart feel like dancing” For more information go to, www.LindaCiofalo.com