Beyond The Sea
Miles High, 2023
8/10
The Japanese vocalist Masumi Ormandy has been quite busy since her debut in 2016, which includes touring the globe and releasing 3 CDs in her home country. These 11 new tracks bring in a small army of musicians from New York for the 11 timeless, vocal jazz tracks.
The intimate mood of the title track opens the listen with Allen Farnham’s pretty keys and Sara Caswell’s elegant violin complementing Ormandy’s poetic and soft voice, and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby” follows with a frisky demeanor thanks to Bria Skonberg’s bright trumpet and Danny Bacher’s animated soprano sax.
Deeper into the listen, “Here’s To Life” emits much dreaminess via Jody Redhage Ferber’s stirring cello amid Ormandy’s poetic pipes, while “Sentimental Journey” is a playful album highlight that enlists John Allred’s lively trumpet that suits the frisky singing.
Landing close to the end, “It’s Only A Paper Moon” spotlights Mino Cinelu’s skilled percussion and Houston Person’s tenor sax for the cautious yet charming landscape, and “Ring No Uta (Apple Song)” exits with much emotion courtesy of Anders Bostrom’s airy flute and Roseanna Vitro’s absorbing guest vocals.
Ormandy’s trio features Farnham, Dean Johnson (upright bass) and Tim Horner (drums), and they, along with the many other players, illuminates the 84 year old’s pipes that realized her singing dream late in life, but are quickly making up for lost time.
Travels well with: Hannah Gill- Everybody Loves A Lover; Angie Wells- Truth Be Told