REVIEWS //
A KISS FOR BRAZIL //
A Kiss for Brazil
Karrin Allyson (Origin)
by Fred Bouchard
There’s a catchy earworm refrain for “Wave”, a
consequence of Antonio Carlos Jobim writing the
English version of “Vou Te Contar”. The music and
lyric of “The fundamental loneliness goes when two
can dream a dream together” helped nudge a sly,
sibilant tsunami throughout global music in the ’60s
via the new form of bossa nova. In A Kiss for Brazil,
five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson catches
this wave with the grace and gusto of a Rio surfer,
her third album dedicated to Brazil’s musical glory,
with her widely-spaced prior albums being From
Paris to Rio (1999) and Imagina (2008).
The genesis of A Kiss for Brazil began when Allyson
learned that Rosa Passos was passing through New
York, and so invited the veteran Brazilian singer-
guitarist-composer to cut a few tracks. The result was
Passos contributing to two of the album’s ten tracks.
“Month of March in Salvador (Dunas)” is a relaxed,
breathless bouncer, with Passos wistful yet piquant
and both amiably weaving scat on the fade. Passos
sings Jobim’s “O Grande Amor”, fragile and resilient
as an orchid, while Allyson translates on the second
chorus as Passos floats a wispy vocal filigree, leading
to a graceful sharing of the final chorus. The opener,
Djavan’s “Flor de Lis”, unveils Allyson’s meticulous
command of the Brazilian ethos, a tender-tough vibe
with impassioned scatting. Other hits emerge as the
band cozies up: a smoldering “The Island”, a lilting
“So Many Stars” by the Bergmans and late Sérgio
Mendes (sweet accordion!), and Allyson running
kittenish to joyous shout on Luiz Bonfá’s mega-hit
“Manha de Carnaval”.
Your reviewer first encountered the redoubtable,
exuberant bassist Harvie S in 1975, deeply engaged
in another power duo–with vocalist Sheila Jordan.
Then as now, S responds all-in with empathy and
passion, and solos on “The Gift” and the warm coda,
a duo (Allyson on piano) of Benny Carter’s “Only
Trust Your Heart”. (The bassist also recommended
the studio and even pitched in with the mixing.)
Graciously complementary bandmates are Vitor
Gonçalves (keyboards, accordion), Yotam Silberstein
(guitar) and Rafael Barata (drums). “Antigua”,
a particularly juicy exercise in Jobim’s lyric-free
pixellic acrobatics, elicits the band’s best: Barata’s
cymbal wash, Gonçalves’ delicate piano, Silberstein’s
gently bluesy guitar.
Each track brings smiles to the ear and celebrates
Brazil’s musical buoyancy, catching Jobim’s wave
and dreaming their dreams together.
For more info visit originarts.com. The album release
concert is at Birdland Oct. 29-Nov. 2.
Hello Friends !! My 2nd new original single is out now – it’s called “Just Passin’ Through” I hope you like it and can download it — so you can keep listening ! That helps artists as you know, but the important thing is to listen to it!!
And here is my 1st single – “Falling Up”
I am honored to have been awarded with an Honorary Doctorate from my alma mater, University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Happy to be a part of two vibrant learning communities – back at University of Hartford – and joined the faculty at Wm. Paterson University.
The B&K Cafe is going strong and besides our stalwart wwfm.org a few other stations have added: Sonora CA, Prairie Public Radio, St. Louis & Interlochen – Thank you to all of them.
_____________________________________________________________________
JAZZ AROUND TOWN
by Scott Yanow
KARRIN ALLYSON
Karrin Allyson has been a major jazz singer at least since her first Concord recording nearly 30 years ago. After all of this time, she is still at the peak of her powers. At Feinstein’s at Vitello’s, with the backing of pianist Miro Sprague, bassist Dave Robaire, and drummer Dan Schnelle, she performed a wide-ranging show that consisted of some of her favorite songs.
She began the night by singing “Autumn Leaves” as a ballad in French before cooking in English. Karrin Allyson found fresh things to say on “Blackbird” (with started with the famous “All Blues” riff), two Mose Allison songs (“Stop The World” and “Ask Me Nice”), Bonnie Raitt’s “Valley Of Pain,” Sippie Wallace’s “Women Be Wise,” and “Surrey With The Fringe On Top” (a witty version with many key changes). Switching to piano, she sang a song apiece from South Pacific, The King And I, and My Fair Lady. Joe LaBarbera sat in on drums for “My Little Boat,” and the singer concluded with the always fun quacking song “Little Duck.”
Word to the wise: Always see Karrin Allyson when she comes to town. She is a delight.
Check out Downbeat Blindfold test w KA
Hello Friends!
I hope you’re able to enjoy some quality time with your loved ones, yourselves, or a quiet walk in the woods or city.
I love this time of year, the days may be getting shorter and the wind may howl colder every night BUT— it’s also a time of year when the best parts of the human spirit arise — generosity, understanding others, and sharing company however we can. Let’s hold onto that!
We have many new dates coming up and would love to see you, also some virtual opportunities if you can’t join us in person.Coming up LIVE: (All dates with ticket info on karrin.com )Dec 4 7PM — Manchester Jazz Fest (Hartford CT— you can also stream this event!) myshul.orgDec 5 Lenox MA – 2 seatings @ 5 & 7 Gateways Inn & Restaurant TicketsDec 31 & Jan 1 Tarrytown, NY, Jazz Forum *Bring in the New Year with us! jazzforumarts.orgJan 14 Portsmouth, NH on Jan 14 Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club jimmysoncongress.comJan 25 – 29 (Tues— Sat) NYC, BIRDLAND!! “Silver Lining; Karrinsings the songs of Bonnie Raitt” birdlandjazz.com
Feb 6 (Sun) Phoenix, AZ, Musical Instrument Museum mim.org
VIRTUAL:Dec 4 Manchester Jazz Fest 7PM (also LIVE) myshul.orgDec 12, Jan 9, Feb 13 KA-Zoom! 6PMET (except Feb 13 it will be 8PMET! when I’ll be on Hawaii time) http://www.jazzvox.com/karrinDec 17, Jan 21, Feb 18 @ 6PMET The B&K Cafe Radio Show wwfm.org (archived shows there too and on karrin.com )
Read New Road Words here.
With Love,KarrinB&K Cafe wwfm.org
To listen to past shows:1) Go to wwfm.org2) Go to ‘About Us’3) Go to ‘Our Programs from A-Z’4) Click on B&K CafeSHOULDER TO SHOULDER:
CENTENNIAL TRIBUTE TO WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE
By Karrin Allyson Sextet
Physical Copies are now available now on Amazon
Willard Jenkins piece on Shoulder to ShoulderThe piece is posted here in the Independent Ear: https://www.openskyjazz.com/2021/03/karrin-allyson-g… lder-to-shoulder/ ________________________________________________________
Review by Rob Lester from TalkinBroadway.com
Female focus // Shoulder to Shoulder:
CENTENNIAL TRIBUTE TO WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE“Karrin Allyson’s distinctive voice, without calling attention to itself, stands out among high voltage company, also redolent with a recognizable determined attitude that is an engine for this unique undertaking. A nod to rap done by the female performer known as Rapsody adds another modern spin to the wrap-up of the Allyson original “Big Discount” that slyly references the gender wage gap. This centennial consciousness-raiser gets my enthusiastic “yes” vote.”
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Review by George W. Harris from Jazzweekly.com
IT GETS MY VOTE…Karrin Allyson Sextet: Shoulder To Shoulder
“While many of the songs are reflective of the ragtime era of the social change, the team of Ingrid Jensen/tp, Mindi Abair/as, Helen Sung/p, Endea Owens/b, Allison Miller/dr and guests like Kait Dunton/org are able to mix strings to hip jazz as on the thriving “Columbia’s Daughters” with Allyson in rich tone and delivery. Vaudevillian pre-jazz supports Veronica Swift on “Anti Suffrage Rose” while modal and free spirited modern grooves pulsate across on “I’ll Be No Submissive Wife.” Readings of anti-voting petitions by Kurt Elling or pro-suffrage Frederick Douglas by Belafonte put the movement in perspective, while Lalah Hathaway’s “Sojourner Truth” speech and Rosanne Cash’s reflections by Susan B. Anthony being quite poignant.”
Hello Friends!
I hope you’re able to enjoy some quality time with your loved ones, yourselves, or a quiet walk in the woods or city.
I love this time of year, the days may be getting shorter and the wind may howl colder every night BUT— it’s also a time of year when the best parts of the human spirit arise — generosity, understanding others, and sharing company however we can. Let’s hold onto that!
We have many new dates coming up and would love to see you, also some virtual opportunities if you can’t join us in person.Coming up LIVE: (All dates with ticket info on karrin.com )Dec 4 7PM — Manchester Jazz Fest (Hartford CT— you can also stream this event!) myshul.orgDec 5 Lenox MA – 2 seatings @ 5 & 7 Gateways Inn & Restaurant TicketsDec 31 & Jan 1 Tarrytown, NY, Jazz Forum *Bring in the New Year with us! jazzforumarts.orgJan 14 Portsmouth, NH on Jan 14 Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club jimmysoncongress.comJan 25 – 29 (Tues— Sat) NYC, BIRDLAND!! “Silver Lining; Karrinsings the songs of Bonnie Raitt” birdlandjazz.com
Feb 6 (Sun) Phoenix, AZ, Musical Instrument Museum mim.org
VIRTUAL:Dec 4 Manchester Jazz Fest 7PM (also LIVE) myshul.orgDec 12, Jan 9, Feb 13 KA-Zoom! 6PMET (except Feb 13 it will be 8PMET! when I’ll be on Hawaii time) http://www.jazzvox.com/karrinDec 17, Jan 21, Feb 18 @ 6PMET The B&K Cafe Radio Show wwfm.org (archived shows there too and on karrin.com )
Read New Road Words here.
With Love,Karrin_________________________________________Dear Friends —
Here we are in September already! As we start coming out of this hot and challenging summer, I am so very grateful for you— that we have remained connected, and been able to share music or hello’s where and when we can. Music can be a balm for all our joys and sorrows —
Thanks for joining in on myKAZoom!shows — I hope you’ve enjoyed the themes! I’m taking a bit of a break with those now until *December 12, 5PMEST.
The B&K Cafeis going strong and besides our stalwartwwfm.orga few other stations have added: Sonora CA, Prairie Public Radio, St. Louis & Interlochen —thank you to all of them!
LIVE shows!We had a lovely time in Tarrytown at Jazz Forum, Whately MA, and Estes Park, Colorado — also got to spend some time in those beautiful areas.
I’ve got 2 excitingLIVE dates in NYCcoming up at a beautiful new club calledChelsea Table & Stage Sep 11 & 18(2 Saturdays). Our show is called“Let’s Duet”with one of my favorite musicians on the planet —Gil Goldstein— he’s played with everyone from Pat Metheny, Esparanza Spaulding, Al Jarreau, you name it — his keyboard skills are un-matched — and of the 3 CD’s we’ve recorded together (From Paris to Rio,Imagina; Songs of BrasilandWild For You) we will be taking a musical, international trip together — you never know if you’ll find Gil at the accordion and Karrin at the piano, or ? Please join us —Let’s Duet!
The rest of the fall is busy -— For October:Minneapolis,Wiscons
in,Kansas City! ,Omaha,Chicago, For end of October /early November:LA,Half Moon Bay,Oakland, andSeattle. Back to the east coast forSaratoga Springs,Boston,Hartford, and the beat goes on for 2021 ! Into the New Year (January 25 – 29) I’ll be back atBirdlandfor a special week;Silver Lining; Karrin Allyson sings songs of Bonnie Raitt! I will see you SOON and I wish you all the very best.
With Love,
Karrin______________________
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SOME OF THAT SUNSHINE
Karrin’s first all-original album available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby
EDITOR’S PICK – JAZZ TIMES – Christopher Loudon, 9/20 print/digital edition:
Even those casually familiar with vocalist and pianist Karrin Allyson’s 26-year recording career surely appreciate her tremendous versatility, exploring everything from French chansons to Brazilian jazz, from blues to pop, from Coltrane to Rodgers and Hammerstein with unerring panache. With Some of That Sunshine, Allyson unleashes her equally impressive dexterity as a songwriter. Sharing keyboard duties with Miro Sprague and Chris Caswell (also the disc’s producer), alongside bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Jerome Jennings, she fills the album with 13 finely crafted originals that variously suggest the spiritedness of Carole King, the perspicacity of Paul Simon, the warmth of Irving Berlin, and the bite of Bob Dorough or Dave Frishberg.
Allyson and company travel a serpentine route, venturing from the philosophical optimism of the title track, featuring violinist Regina Carter, to the funkified heartbreak of “Wish You Were Mine,” gentle caress of “As Long As I Know You Love Me,” and, with its softly powerful examination of a long-term relationship’s splintering, the sorrowfully reflective “Happy Now.” Saxophonist Houston Person steps in to help define the romantic disillusion of “Just as Well” and the love-the-one-you’re-with verve of “Right Here, Right Now.” Bass legend Lee Sklar drives the darkly disenchanted “One of These Days.” Allyson adds dual perspectives on social change, first with “Shake It Up,” a rousing ode to stepping forward and, with Carter, the closing “Big Discount” a stirring rallying cry that encompasses pay equity, shattering glass ceilings, and the #MeToo movement.
Jazz Times Review – Editor’s Pick
FOUR-STAR DOWNBEAT REVIEW/EXPANSIVE INTERVIEW IN M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE, AS FIVE-TIME GRAMMY NOMINEE KARRIN ALLYSON CELEBRATES RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM OF ORIGINAL MUSIC, “SOME OF THAT SUNSHINE” Jazz Times, Jazziz, M Mag Run Exclusive Song Premieres U.S. Tour Extended
DownBeat Magazine – ****Four-star album review By Bob Doerschuk, 9/18 print edition:
There are so many ways to savor Karrin Allyson’s artistry. Start with her voice, its rare clarity and resonant timbre. She phrases impeccably, staying close to the melody, except on the occasional scat chorus. Everything she sings seems to rise from a smile. The flip side is that , more than most of peers, she shies away from any blues influence. Here and there she’ll adorn the melody with a flat-third filigree, though more as a sprinkle of spice than a fundament of her style. These qualities make every moment on Some Of That Sunshine unmistakably Allyson. As does her writing. Each track is concise, built on an unvarying verse/chorus/bridge structure, her band providing perfect support. The solos are not about stretching out; their purpose is to frame the lyric and bring ou the luster in Allyson’s performance. Houston Person does this by complementing her nearly transparent purity with his smoky tenor on “Just As Well.” In contrast, violinist Regina Carter mirrors Allyson’s playful feel on the title cut by plucking the first verse of her solo. Allyson keeps this same focus through the last two songs on the album. From its first few notes, “You Don’t Care” surprises with its old-school country vibe and compositional simplicity. It’s easy to imagine it being played on the Grand Ole Opry stage- not today, but maybe 50 years ago. And the #metoo message of “Big Discount” couldn’t be more timely, though even here Allyson maintains her tuneful vibe.
JAZZ TIMES EXCLUSIVELY PREMIERED THE SONG “JUST AS WELL” Listen to it here:
On her new album, Some of That Sunshine, to be released by her own label Kasrecords on Aug. 3, singer Karrin Allyson unveils a skill that many of her listeners may believe is new for her: songwriting. But it turns out that she was already engaged in tunesmithery well before the release of her debut album in 1992—she’s just never presented her work to the public in this way before. “As a young musician I was writing songs in a variety of styles,” Allyson says, “even before I discovered jazz. I loved the singer/songwriters of my youth and I followed their influence. Now, after years of performing all sorts of jazz and Brazilian and French music, I’m coming back to where I started.” JazzTimes is pleased to premiere one of Some of That Sunshine’s 13 original tracks, “Just as Well,” which shows that Allyson is as talented at writing a classic-sounding ballad as she is at vocally delivering one.
M Music & Musicians Magazine – Expansive Interview with the Publisher, plus Exclusive Song Premiere of ‘Nobody Said Love Was Easy’. By Merlin David, 8/2018 Read the full feature and listen to the song, here:
JAZZIZ EXCLUSIVELY PREMIERED “SHAKE IT UP” Listen to it here:
New York City Jazz Record:
Five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson, best known for her husky voice and versatility as a singer, has released her first album of originals, Some Of That Sunshine (Kasrecords). Allyson the songwriter, true to form, moves blithely from one feel to another, be it a blues (“Nobody Said Love Was Easy”), a swing (“Some Of That Sunshine”), or a pop tune (“As Long As I Know You Love Me”). A welcome next step for this enticing musician.
RADIO MOVES
26* to 6* to 6* to 2* to 2* to 2* to 5 to 4* JazzWeek!!
26* to 25* to 10* to 9* to 6* to 10 to 6* to 13 NACC College Jazz Top-30
2 Adds:
MI YPSILANTI WEMU A NY GARDEN CITY WHPC A TV AppearancesSacramento CBS-TV’s Good Day Sacramento 8:45AM PSTRochester NY ABC/FOX TV Rochester Morning ShowFrom GinaLovesJazz / Germany
Shoulder to Shoulder: Centennial Tribute to Women’s Suffrage
Billboard exclusive story (here)
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Some of that Sunshine
TV Appearances
EDITOR’S PICK – JAZZ TIMES – Christopher Loudon, 9/20 print/digital edition:
Even those casually familiar with vocalist and pianist Karrin Allyson’s 26-year recording career surely appreciate her tremendous versatility, exploring everything from French chansons to Brazilian jazz, from blues to pop, from Coltrane to Rodgers and Hammerstein with unerring panache. With Some of That Sunshine, Allyson unleashes her equally impressive dexterity as a songwriter. Sharing keyboard duties with Miro Sprague and Chris Caswell (also the disc’s producer), alongside bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Jerome Jennings, she fills the album with 13 finely crafted originals that variously suggest the spiritedness of Carole King, the perspicacity of Paul Simon, the warmth of Irving Berlin, and the bite of Bob Dorough or Dave Frishberg.
Allyson and company travel a serpentine route, venturing from the philosophical optimism of the title track, featuring violinist Regina Carter, to the funkified heartbreak of “Wish You Were Mine,” gentle caress of “As Long As I Know You Love Me,” and, with its softly powerful examination of a long-term relationship’s splintering, the sorrowfully reflective “Happy Now.” Saxophonist Houston Person steps in to help define the romantic disillusion of “Just as Well” and the love-the-one-you’re-with verve of “Right Here, Right Now.” Bass legend Lee Sklar drives the darkly disenchanted “One of These Days.” Allyson adds dual perspectives on social change, first with “Shake It Up,” a rousing ode to stepping forward and, with Carter, the closing “Big Discount” a stirring rallying cry that encompasses pay equity, shattering glass ceilings, and the #MeToo movement.
From GinaLovesJazz / Germany
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Karrin Teaches
Welcome to the new website!
Sunshine and More
Allyson is Karrin — an internationally aclaimed pianist and singer with thirteen albums on the Concord Jazz label, FIVE Grammy nominations and appearances all over the world. Allyson is noted both for the warmth and sincerity of her performing style and the breadth of her repertoire...
Greatest Shows by Karrin.
Plan now to catch Karrin live.