Search - Denise Donatelli :: In The Company of Friends

Another very impressive debut

Rick Cornell | Reno, Nv USA | 10/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My attention to this album, by an artist with whom I was totally unfamiliar, was drawn by raves on the cover and in the liner notes from Tom Scott, Phil Woods and Mark Murphy. If these guys rave, this artist must be sensational, right?



My verdict: in time, she really could be. For now, this is a very impressive debut album.



As with many debut albums by jazz chanteusses, Ms. Donatelli has chosen the relatively safe route of sticking with the Great American Songbook. Not entirely, though: the one original, Tom Garvin (p.)'s "A Roarin' Borin' Alice" is probably the highlight of the album. As you might guess from that title, the song is hilarious, reminiscent of Jon Hendricks' "Gimme That Wine" or Mose Allison's "Your Mind's On Vacation".



But what sets this album apart from most vocal jazz debut albums are the charts. We have some unique stuff here: "On Green Dolphin Street" done in 5/4 time; "You Don't Know What Love Is" recast to a rhumba beat; "Dream Dancing" done to a samba beat; and a cool scat in unison with the horns on "This Is New." The album as a whole is very well recorded, with nice balance between the horns and the rhythm section.



As for Ms. Donatelli, she doesn't have a particularly big or rich voice; but she has a very pleasing, sensual tone, and her phrasings and intonation are as good as most seasoned old pros. If I had a constructive critique to make, it is that at the end of some phrases, her voice cuts into a wide vibrato that is somewhat distracting. I think that could be fixed with a good vocal coach, however.



The album strikes me at a 4-5 range. I give it a 5, because I've heard a lot of really good jazz singers over the years improve from a very promising starting point. I look forward to Ms. Donatelli doing the same, and encouragement is a good thing. RC"