Sing A Song Of Bird
Skyline, 2021
8/10
It’s been a prolific year for Roseanna Vitro, who has already released Listen Here, and the songstress returns here alongside 3 other vocalists and several musicians as they pay tribute to Charlie Parker, and even add new lyrics to several of his compositions.
“People Chase” starts the listen upbeat and melodic with Alan Broadbent’s frisky piano alongside Dean Johnson’s bouncy bass, and, of course, Vitro’s stunning vocal acrobatics, and “The Scatter” follows with a punchy and smooth delivery of alto sax from Mark Gross as well as call and response vocals from Bob Dorough that make for a fun listen.
Deeper into the listen, “Grapple With The Apple” displays Bill Goodwin’s agile drumming alongside the fluid and diverse singing from Vitro, while “Audubon’s New Bluebird” brings Dorough back for a charming, timeless jazz delivery that benefits from Paul Myers’ strong guitar work. “Quasimodo” then welcomes Sheila Jordan on vocals, where a cautious landscape unfolds with vivid storytelling.
Approaching the end, the lush and dynamic “Yardbird Suite” moves swiftly with a soulful, swingin’ good time, and “These Foolish Things” places Vitro, Dorough and Jordan on vocals in the slow burning finish of poetic beauty, as all 3 vocalists take their turn in the spotlight.
This is Vitro’s 15th recording, and the vocalist easily proves just why she’s been worthy of a Grammy nomination. Sadly, Dorough passed away in the early stage of recording the album, but he sure did leave us with some excellent renditions of classic songs.
You don’t need to be a Charlie Parker fan to enjoy this project, so long as you enjoy bossa nova, bebop sounds, and creative jazz ideas that will sound as great decades from now as they do today.
Travels well with: Cathy Segal-Garcia- Social Anthems Vol. 1; Tanya Dennis- White Sails Blues Skies