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Press

KARRIN ALLYSON – FIVE-TIME GRAMMY NOMINEE

GRAMMY NOMINATED AGAIN 2016
JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

I had the great pleasure of recording “Shenandoah”on pianist’s Pete Malinverni new CD called “Heaven”. Check it out on petemalinverni.com and buy one !

Download FULL Karrin Allyson Biography

Karrin Allyson Motema R&H CD Press Release 12 2015

DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE – October 2011 – FIVE STARS
10/2011 Issue – CD review by Kirk Silsbee

Review quote from Albany Times Union | Freihofer Jazz Festival 25 June 2016

“In between, vocalist-pianist Karrin Allyson offered the most subtle set, effortlessly shifting gears from Mose Allison’s “Everybody’s Crying Mercy” to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” to a syncopated rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want.”

New Zealand reviews –

Karrin Allyson with Tom Warrington Trio

Dominion Post Culture Concert Review

“Many a New Day” Reviews:

Associated Press: “Masterful”

USA Today: “Beautifully Nuanced”

NY Times: “She aces the tightrope walk of songbook reverence and jazz-vocal breeziness that often proves elusive on such an album”

DownBeat: “A brilliant album that bridges the worlds of jazz and musical theater”; “Allyson may be the perfect singer to reinterpret Rodgers & Hammerstein for a modern, jazz-aware audience”

JazzTimes: “An Exquisitely Thoughtful Trio Album, it’s Also an Important One”

The Sunday Times: (UK)Record of the Year Pick

Jazz Journal (UK): “Allyson’s gorgeous singing voice is true, mature, and a delight from start to finish. An absolute must.”

MOJO (UK) gives a

Four Stars

review in the February issue of MOJO

Karrin Allyson Motema R&H CD Press Release 10 2015

Talkin Broadway

International Review of Music

Rifftides

5/1/16 – Omaha World Herald’s review of our University of Nebraska at Omaha Concert

Spring Schedule

jazzpolice.com

City Pages (Minneapolis)

»The Houston Press —
“If there’s a choir in heaven, someday the exquisite vocalist Karrin Allyson will lead it. She’s such an otherworldly talent that the creator probably already has her on heavy rotation.”

Well, no worries, mate, Karrin Allyson will be part of this earthly choir for a very long time and after a jam-packed career with Concord Jazz — thirteen albums, four Grammy nominations, 5-Star Downbeat review of her latest “Round Midnight” and a recent self-produced holiday album, Yuletide Hideaway that won four stars from Downbeat.

Karrin lives in New York City, following a childhood in the midwest, schooling in the Bay Area, a degree in classical piano performance and important stints in Minneapolis and Kansas City, where she began her recording career with Concord Jazz. Karrin currently spends two days out of three on tour, playing the major jazz festivals, concert venues and clubs of the U.S. and making repeated tours overseas — to Brazil, Japan, Australia and the great cities of Europe.

»The Village Voice — Gary Giddins :
“Allyson coolly stakes her claim. She brings a timbre that is part ice and part grain — incisive, original, and emotionally convincing.”

» THE NEW YORK TIMES — Stephen Holden :
“Sweet Core, Steely Edge” Karrin Allyson at Birdland

» Photo by Gary Tinnes at SOKA Performing Arts Center, SOKA University

Bio by The Folly/KC

» Thank you Adelaide! Loved the Adelaide Festival, Australia! Review June 2015

» Read the International Review of Music’s review of Karrin Catalina Jazz Club, http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundposts/2014/10/31/21875/ December, 2014.

» Listen to Karrin performing live in MPR Studios http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/12/22/daily-circuit-karrin-allyson December, 2014.

» See the Kansas City Star’s photo gallery of Karrin at The Folly Theater, http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/article4723215.html December, 2014.

» Read the Kansas City Star’s review by Bill Brownlee of Karrin at The Folly Theater, http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/back-to-rockville/article4725525.html December, 2014.

» Read the The Jazz Police’s preview of Karrin at The Dakota, Minneapolis, http://www.jazzpolice.com/content/view/11472/68/ December, 2014.

» Read the The Star Tribune’s preview of Karrin at The Dakota, Minneapolis, http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/286265411.html December, 2014.

» Read the Seattle – Times review of Karrin’s opening night at Jazz Alley, http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundposts/2014/10/31/21875/ October 31, 2014.

» Karrin on Women’s Media Center Live with Robin Morgan talk – Aired Saturday, June 14 at 11:00 a.m. ET on CBS station 1580 AM in Washington, D.C.

» Karrin’s TEDxUMKC talk – “Live an artful life”.

» March 2014 – The International Review of Music – Review by Don Heckman – Live Jazz: The 60th Anniversary of Jazz at Massey Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival at Disney Hall

» February 2014 – Kansas City’s JAM – Cover Story – Jazz Ambassador Magazine – Feb/March 2014 Cover Story

» February 2014 – @TribLive Review by Bob Karlovits Review

» February 2014 – New Road Words Published Karrin’s Latest News

» Karrin added to Newport Jazz Festival Lineup (Check Tour Dates for times and locations)
The “Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60” tour celebrates the great history of the Newport Jazz Festival and its current role as one of the most active presenters of contemporary jazz artists in the world. During the past 10 years, the festival has made news by continuing to be at the forefront of discovering new talent and nurturing the incredible creative community of jazz and related music that thrives today. The title of the tour celebrates the longevity of the festival and its continued relevance. The star-studded ensemble features Anat Cohen, Karrin Allyson, Randy Brecker, Mark Whitfield accompanied by the A-list rhythm section of pianist Peter Martin, drummer Clarence Penn and bassist Larry Grenadier.

» Live …from BAM with Ted Firth/piano, Sean Smith/bass, Mark McLean/drums, and Randy Napoleon/ guitar performing When I Think of Tom/Hello Young Lovers from Karrin’s upcoming Motema release, Many A New Day (Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein). Set to release in September, this 14-song collection features Allyson’s romantic, sly and swinging take on songs that have become part of the international cultural fabric such as Bali H’ai, Edelweiss, Happy Talk, This Nearly Was Mine. The collection features the distinctive pairing of Kenny Barron on piano and John Patitucci on bass (only the second time the two have recorded together).

» Thank you Adelaide! Loved the Adelaide Festival, Australia! Review

» I am very happy to announce I have signed with Motema Record Label; Artists of Power and Distinction – a very exciting label based in NYC. Check them out: Motema.com

I’m recording with Kenny Barron and John Patitucci on May 1 & 2 — our project will be out in September of this year.

» Broadcast Live from Scullers Karrin Allyson on WGBH 89.7 and streaming world wide Friday April 17 on Eric Jackson’s show at 10PM. This is Boston’s great PBS station

» Catch Karrin guest DJ-ing Saturday, November 8th at 4pm, Tuesday November 11th at 7pm, and Friday November 14th at 11am on The Jonathan Channel, http://www.thejonathanchannel.org/ . The show is also available at http://www.wnyc.org/ , http://www.wqxr.org/ on the WNYC and WQXR apps as well as at TuneIn, iHeart Radio and iTunes.

» Karrin has posted new Road Words, September 2014.

» Check out Karrin’s new gallery of images sent to her by fans, “FAN FARE”

» Karrin on Women’s Media Center Live with Robin Morgan Originally aired on CBS station 1580 AM in Washington, D.C.

» Karrin’s TEDxUMKC Talk – “Live an artful life”

» Photo by Gary Tinnes, at SOKA Performing Arts Center, SOKA University

» New Road Words Published Karrin’s Latest News

» The International Review of Music– Review by Don Heckman – Live Jazz: The 60th Anniversary of Jazz at Massey Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival at Disney Hall

» Kansas City’s JAM – Cover Story – Jazz Ambassador Magazine – Feb/March 2014 Cover Story

» @TribLive Review by Bob Karlovits Review

» The University of New Orleans 89.9 WWNO INSIDE THE ARTS – “This week on Inside the Arts, we’re talking jazz with singer Karrin Allyson.”

» Live Show REVIEW – CATALINA’S BAR & GRILL by Scott Yanow– “…Karrin Allyson remains one of the finest singers in jazz today.”

» City Pages,Minneapolis – reviews Yuletide Hideaway- “…a superb song interpreter who can freshen up the most familiar material, as she does on standards like “The Christmas Song” and “Winter Wonderland.”

» SomethingElseReviews, syndicated via All About Jazz, Google News, RSS News Feed and more – reviews Yuletide Hideaway- “It’s Perfect”

» Wall Street Journal “Ms. Allyson’s notes fly in the air like reindeer and land like snow flakes or baubles upon the tree. Even “Winter Wonderland” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” seem darker and moodier than ever before.”

» Rock critic Jim Pasinski hails Yuletide Hideaway- “Silky smooth with her gentle delivery…”

» Critic Brian Arsenault includes Yuletide Hideaway in his Holiday CD round-up for International Review of Music – “Warm as Nana’s quilt…”

» New York Times Review – Holiday Cheer for the Ears
By JON CARAMANICA, NATE CHINEN, BEN RATLIFF and JON PARELES Published: November 28, 2013 “Karrin Allyson is a jazz singer of sure interpretive ability, and she puts it to good use on a mellow holiday assortment…”

» DownBeat gives “Yuletide Hideaway” 4 Stars DownBeat’s Digital Edition December 2013 “…she has delivered a sterling holiday album that fans will turn to year after year when the time comes to hang the mistletoe.”

» Four-Time Grammy Nominee Karrin Allyson releases “Yuletide Hideaway” November 1 ~ Karrin’s first independent release!

» Karrin in USA Today Monday October 22nd, 2013.

Karrin is one of Elysa Gardner’s top 10 highlights for this week’s listening: “This Time of Year, Karrin Allyson. A new platter of warm, honeyed jazz from Allyson is reason to celebrate the holidays early: Yuletide Hideaway arrives Nov. 1.”

» DownBeat Magazine
61st Annual DownBeat Critics Poll – Karrin Allyson wins Rising Star Female Vocalist – June 2013

» Voice of America – Beyond Category: Karrin Allyson
Karrin Allyson with Todd Strait (drums), Steve Cardenas (guitar), Ed Howard (bass). Interviewed by Eric Felten (trombone). A 30 minute video interview with 4 Karrin tunes.

» Kansas City Jam Magazine – Review of Yuletide Hideaway
“Let’s put it out there, quickly: Karrin Allyson’s Christmas record Yuletide Hideaway is superb.” – Roger Atkinson

» January 2014 – The University of New Orleans 89.9 WWNO INSIDE THE ARTS – “This week on Inside the Arts, we’re talking jazz with singer Karrin Allyson.”

» January 2014 – Live Show REVIEW – CATALINA’S BAR & GRILL by Scott Yanow– “…Karrin Allyson remains one of the finest singers in jazz today.”

» December 2013 – City Pages,Minneapolis – reviews Yuletide Hideaway- “…a superb song interpreter who can freshen up the most familiar material, as she does on standards like “The Christmas Song” and “Winter Wonderland.”

» December 2013 – SomethingElseReviews, syndicated via All About Jazz, Google News, RSS News Feed and more – reviews Yuletide Hideaway- “It’s Perfect”

» December 2013 – Wall Street Journal
“Ms. Allyson’s notes fly in the air like reindeer and land like snow flakes or baubles upon the tree. Even “Winter Wonderland” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” seem darker and moodier than ever before.”

» December 2013 – Rock critic Jim Pasinski hails Yuletide Hideaway- “Silky smooth with her gentle delivery…”

» December 2013 – Critic Brian Arsenault includes Yuletide Hideaway in his Holiday CD round-up for International Review of Music – “Warm as Nana’s quilt…”

» December 2013 – New York Times Review – Holiday Cheer for the Ears
By JON CARAMANICA, NATE CHINEN, BEN RATLIFF and JON PARELES
Published: November 28, 2013
“Karrin Allyson is a jazz singer of sure interpretive ability, and she puts it to good use on a mellow holiday assortment…”

» NEW FESTIVAL DATES ADDED – Make reservations now! (See Tour Dates for details.)
Thursday, June 26 – Montreal Jazz Festival
Friday, June 27 – Ottawa Jazz Festival
Sunday, June 29 – Freihofer Jazz Festival – Saratoga Springs, NY

» December 2013 – DownBeat gives “Yuletide Hideaway” 4 Stars
DownBeat’s Digital Edition December 2013
“…she has delivered a sterling holiday album that fans will turn to year after year when the time comes to hang the mistletoe.”

» FIVE-Time Grammy Nominee Karrin Allyson releases “Yuletide Hideaway” November 1 ~
Karrin’s first independent release!

Buy Yuletide Hideaway

A heart-warming collection of holiday songs, old and new from Karrin Allyson. Featuring Chris Caswell, Lee Sklar, Rod Feeman, Todd Strait and Gerald Spaits.

A warm, inviting and original set, this is a recording you’ll want to keep close at hand in your collection.

» Kansas City Jam Magazine – Review of Yuletide Hideaway
“Let’s put it out there, quickly: Karrin Allyson’s Christmas record Yuletide Hideaway is superb.” – Roger Atkinson

» Karrin in USA Today Monday October 22nd, 2013.
Karrin is one of Elysa Gardner’s top 10 highlights for this week’s listening: “This Time of Year, Karrin Allyson. A new platter of warm, honeyed jazz from Allyson is reason to celebrate the holidays early: Yuletide Hideaway arrives Nov. 1.”

» DownBeat Magazine
61st Annual DownBeat Critics Poll – Karrin Allyson wins Rising Star Female Vocalist – June 2013

» Voice of America – Beyond Category: Karrin Allyson July 2013
Karrin Allyson with Todd Strait (drums), Steve Cardenas (guitar), Ed Howard (bass). Interviewed by Eric Felten (trombone). A 30 minute video interview with 4 Karrin tunes. –

Quotes

Seattle Times
New York Times
Wall Street Journal
Downbeat Magazine

Karrin Allyson shows she’s at the top of her game in Jazz Alley set
A review of jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson’s Aug. 16, 2012, concert at Seattle’s Jazz Alley.
By Paul de Barros Seattle Times jazz critic

Karrin Allyson, who opened a four-night stand at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley Thursday with a delicious set, usually has a “hook” — a new album, new material, a change of direction, an award nomination.

That makes it easy for critics. But you know what? Allyson doesn’t have a hook this time, and she doesn’t need one. Unless it’s this: She is hands-down one of the best vocalists in jazz, working at the very top of her game — “Right Here, Right Now,” just like she says in the title of one of her original tunes. What more do you need to hear?

You know you’re dealing with a pro when she sits down at the piano on opening night, totally relaxed and ready to roll, even though she’s working with a band just put together for the gig: Portland drummer Todd Strait; Seattle bassist Jeff Johnson; and her longtime accompanist from Kansas City, guitarist Rod Fleeman.

Of course, Allyson has worked with all these guys before, and they’re all pros, but they didn’t just shuffle through the night. They found some magic. Wearing a purple sleeveless top, tight black pants and strappy heels, the tall, pixie-coiffed singer began her show with a lush take on Bill Evans’ pathos-filled lament, “Turn Out the Stars.” Allyson’s willowy, fetchingly hoarse alto wafted through the room like a robust perfume.

Paul Simon’s winsome “April Come She Will” — like “Turn Out the Stars,” on her most recent album, “‘Round Midnight” — got a ripply, folksy reading, and Allyson snagged the angsty joie de vivre of Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want,” hanging it on a snappy, clanging piano riff.

Allyson was in a bluesy mood. The sexy Chris Caswell lyrics to Hank Mobley’s snappy ditty, “Turnaround,” were surely rattling around in a lot of heads long after the gig. Getting up from the piano, Allyson boogied in place as she wailed out the Bobby Timmons classic “Moanin’,” tossing off crisp scat unisons with Fleeman’s guitar.

Caswell’s lovely lyrics shone again on Wayne Shorter’s mysteriously enchanted blues “Footprints,” with Allyson adding just the right inflection as the tune rose to its harmonically slinky turnaround. Fleeman and Johnson engaged in a Bachlike, filigree exchange on Duke Ellington’s luxurious ballad “Sophisticated Lady,” and Allyson obliged the respectably ample weeknight audience before it could make a request — which it undoubtedly would have — with her perky, quirky version, in Portuguese, of the Brazilian novelty tune about a duck that appears to be dancing the samba, “O Pato.”

“Frank Sinatra has ‘My Way’; I have ‘O Pato,’ ” she joshed good-naturedly about her most popular song.

Allyson said she spent the whole plane flight from New York listening to songs by bassist Jay Leonhart. She then graced the house with Leonhart’s bittersweet, inquisitive “Robert Frost,” which she recorded on her 1996 album “Collage.”

I had never heard her sing it live. It was gorgeous. Maybe that was the hook. As if she needed one.

Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Music Review Sweet Core, Steely Edge Karrin Allyson at Birdland
By STEPHEN HOLDEN Published: June 10, 2012

To follow Billy Joel’s sober hymn, “And So It Goes” with the frantic chromatic babble of Clifford Brown and Jon Hendricks’s “Joy Spring” is quite a leap for any singer. But Karrin Allyson made it look easy on Thursday evening at Birdland. Her show, whose selections change with every set, is a celebration of a 13-album career that is one of the most stable in jazz. She has an easy mastery of bebop, bossa nova, chanson and soft rock, to name four of the many styles in which she is comfortable.

A hallmark of Ms. Allyson’s performances is her casual attitude toward phrasing and interpretation. In her unstudied approach she is a cheerful, gamin roustabout hanging out with the guys. Jazz singing is for fun, not for carving statements in stone, although she put some weight behind her duet with the bassist Ed Howard on “ ’Round Midnight.” Filling out her trio were Todd Strait on drums and Bruce Barth, a pianist with a heavy touch that served her well on “I Ain’t Got Nothin’ but the Blues” and less so on ballads like “I Cover the Waterfront.”

With her narrowed eyes, doll face and Cheshire cat smile, Ms. Allyson is also sexy. But in her original blues song, “Sweet Home Cookin’ Man,” for which she commandeered the piano, the innuendo was minimal. Ms. Allyson knows when to improvise and when not to. “Joy Spring” elicited a scat solo that amplified the song’s euphoria.

Underneath Ms. Allyson’s sweetness is a core of toughness, which revealed itself in the Blossom Dearie hit “Bye-Bye Country Boy,” about a traveling musician’s dalliance on the road.

Behind it all is a musician whose concepts are rooted in the songs she sings. “It Might as Well Be Spring,” which, when sung by a woman, is often treated as the fluttery romantic daydream of an ingénue, was accelerated and pumped up with drums to become an exhilarating expression of visceral excitement.

MUSIC REVIEW
A Sharp Eye for Songs in the Key of Now
By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Published: June 3, 2011

As Karrin Allyson breezed through Mose Allison’s “I Don’t Worry About a Thing,” at Birdland on Thursday evening, this jaunty blues shuffle with a twisted smile on its face sounded as fresh as if it had been tossed off just the other day.

The lyrics describe the world as “one big trouble spot” in which “some have plenty and some have not.” The narrator cheerfully boasts of finally having seen the light, then announces, “Now I don’t worry about a thing/’Cause I know nothing’s going to be all right.”

Welcome to 2011, except that the song dates from the early 1960s. Before giving it a deliciously tangy, shoulder-shrugging interpretation, Ms. Allyson allowed that the song pretty much reflected her point of view. It was one of several numbers in her set that revealed her exceptionally keen eye for the smart, semi-obscure pop or jazz number that speaks directly to the moment.

She also dug up “Loads of Love,” a Richard Rodgers song from the show “No Strings,” whose sybaritic narrator declares, “I just want money and then more money and loads of lovely love.” That too sounds like now.

No matter what she performs, Ms. Allyson is one of the most grounded singers working today. Whether the idiom is hard bop (“The Turnaround”), Brazilian bossa nova (several Jobim numbers) or classically inflected pop (“I’m Always Chasing Rainbows”) she approaches it head-on, with a clear-eyed awareness of the stylistic balance she wants to strike. And her excellent band — Rod Fleeman on guitar, Ed Howard on bass, Lewis Nash on drums and Bob Sheppard on reeds and woodwinds — buoyed her singing with robust sophisticated arrangements featuring Mr. Sheppard. In the rare instances in which Ms. Allyson scatted, improvisations had an incisive, rhythmic edge; she really meant them.

Even when expressing the most excessively romantic sentiments, Ms. Allyson kept her head out of the clouds. There is not an ounce of self-pity in a tough-minded but friendly approach (reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt’s) that looks at reality without flinching. For most of the set, Ms. Allyson sat at the piano, which she played in a style that might be described as matter of fact, with no frills. There was nothing not to admire.

WALL STREET JOURNAL
6/3/2011 BY WILL FRIEDWALD – Karrin Allyson – Birdland
Karrin Allyson has chops, but more important, she has taste and restraint—one gets the distinct impression that she could belt a lot louder and higher than she generally does. Instead, she sings with amazing subtlety, employing just enough technique to put her songs over. She keeps within a very specific range, both melodically and emotionally, which allows her to blend beautifully with the rest of her group, especially guitarist Rod Fleeman. The result is a true collaboration in which all the instruments interact while remaining within a specific sonic space. Accompanying herself on piano, Ms. Allyson puts “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” into a distinct 4/4 tempo (as opposed to the usual out-of-time treatment), enhancing both the music and the narrative. At almost precisely 12 a.m on Wednesday, she concluded with a haunting duet with bassist Ed Howard on ‘Round Midnight,” also the title of her new album.
http://online.wsj.com/article

DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE – ‘FIVE-STAR MASTERPIECE’ – TOP CDS OF 2011
12/2011 Issue – CD review by Kirk Silsbee
Karrin Allyson has long been known for gathering choice material from far-flung sources and fashioning superior albums – a skill never to be sneezed at. This ennui-soaked program is no exception; her ability to shape songs to conform to an overall vision more than justifies her production credit shared with Nick Phillips.

DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE – October 2011 – FIVE STARS
10/2011 Issue – CD review by Kirk Silsbee

Karrin Allyson has long been known for gathering choice material from far-flung sources and fashioning superior albums – a skill never to be sneezed at. This ennui-soaked program is no exception; her ability to shape songs to conform to an overall vision more than justifies her production credit shared with Nick Phillips. Opening with the suicidal “Turn Out The Stars” is a challenge, but Allyson’s many shades of emotion and implication bring the mood up with Paul Simon’s wistful “April Come She Will.” The musicality is substantial yet quietly impressive: like changing keys in the middle of a line on “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” or the dissolute piano underneath “Smile.”

Allyson’s condensed alto voice telescopes much into a small dynamic range. Singing the difficult octave jump to “Sophisticated Lady” is secondary to the understated pang of her reading. “Send In The Clowns” may be a tad hoary through overexposure, but recasting as a slow bossa gives it longer legs. And a voice-bass duet on the title track yields another fine version of Thelonious Monk’s classic with an artist’s individual stamp on it.

Like Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae, magical moments occur in Allyson’s live sets when she accompanies herself on the piano. Her keyboard work here is almost subliminal – as much felt as heard. The recessed rhythm vamp on “Spring” helps her to subtly swing at the absolute lowest possible tempo and dynamic.

Low-key dividends abound: Bob Sheppard’s murky bass clarinet on Gordon Jenkin’s murky bass clarinet on Gordon Jenkins’s shamefully neglected “Goodbye,” Randy Weinstein’s tangy harmonica, Matt Wilson’s beautiful brushwork, Rod Fleeman’s filigreed guitar. But it’s all in service to Allyson’s evocative styling.

-Kirk Silsbee

‘Round Midnight: Turn Out The Stars; April Come She Will; Good-bye; I’m Always Chasing Rainbows; Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most; Smile; Sophisticated Lady; There’s No Such Thing As Love; The Shadow Of Your Smile; Send In The Clowns; ‘ Round Midnight. (44:48)

Personnel: Karrin Allyson, vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes; Bob Sheppard, soprano and tenor saxophone, alto flute, bass clarinet; Rod Fleeman, acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Ed Howard, bass;

Ordering info: Concord Music Group

The New York Times

April 5, 2008
Music Review | Karrin Allyson
Love Songs Without Sighs

By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Every jazz singer has a Brazilian album under his or her hat, usually focused on the songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Whether it takes you to bossa nova dreamsville in a misty tropical paradise or into the jungle on a samba expedition depends on the singer’s temperament. Karrin Allyson, whose four-night engagement at Birdland ends on Saturday, takes a middle ground on her Brazilian album “Imagina” (Concord), 10 of whose 14 songs have music by Jobim.

On Thursday evening Ms. Allyson and a quartet featuring Steve Nelson on vibes and Rod Fleeman on guitar performed several of those songs in brisk, moderately percussive settings. The arrangements matched Ms. Allyson’s springy, dry-eyed perspective on saudade, the Portuguese concept of solitary, fatalistic longing that permeates bossa nova.

The joy in a song like “A Felicidade” (“Happiness”), from the movie “Black Orpheus,” is all the more palpable because of the realization that it is evanescent. When Ms. Allyson sang it in both Portuguese and English (Susannah McCorkle’s translation of Vinicius de Moraes’s lyric), she looked the song straight in the eye; there were no flutters and sighs.

The sense of time passing is even more acute in “Outono” (“Stay”), Rosa Passos and Fernando de Oliveira’s autumnal portrait of lovers contemplating the future, with English lyrics by Paul Williams.

For Ms. Allyson is really a jazz equivalent of Bonnie Raitt. She approaches a romantic song from a perspective that is wised up and well defended but not quite tough. I couldn’t imagine her falling for a line of sweet talk. That is certainly the feeling she conveyed in “Right Here,” a song in which she lays down the law to a temporary lover that they will not discuss the future or the past, the better to savor the moment.

Her light samba version of “It Might as Well Be Spring” late in the show made the same point. When spring fever makes you feel “as restless as willow in a windstorm,” you don’t sit around analyzing your condition; you get into the groove of the season and move.

» November 1, 2013 – Click here to open Yuletide Hideaway Press Release (PDF)

» October, 2011 — Click here to open Round Midnight Press Release (PDF)

» 300dpi Print Resolution Images

By Gary Tinnes