Amandah Jantzen - Devil May Care

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:16
Size: 120,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Cheek To Cheek
(6:04)  2. Early Autumn
(7:32)  3. Besame Mucho
(3:48)  4. Devil May Care
(8:44)  5. How Insensitive
(2:27)  6. It's All Right With Me
(3:43)  7. What'll I Do?
(4:12)  8. Summertime
(5:23)  9. I Was Telling Him About You
(3:08) 10. It's A Wonderful World
(3:02) 11. This Is Always

Before commenting on the music, a word of congratulations the eight photographs of Amandah Jantzen that adorn Devil May Care have equaled Maria Schneider’s record for “most pictures of a performing artist accompanying her own compact disc.” She needed both sides of the tray card to do it but managed to draw even with Schneider’s notable achievement on her latest album, Allégresse. In five of the eight photos Jantzen, a green eyed blonde, is posed on a beach in swimsuit or robe, which may or may not help sell a few copies of the album. It certainly can’t hurt, but may deflect one’s attention from Jantzen’s most important asset, which is of course her singing voice. It’s clear and pleasant, seductive when appropriate, with a slight sharpness around the edges that enhances her intonation, delivery and “devil may care” presence. Jantzen’s choice of material is exemplary, and she knows how to sell a lyric without undue embellishment. Whether she’s a “Jazz singer” is debatable (it almost always is) but she has surrounded herself with talented Oregon based pros who keep the music swinging. Al Wold is especially helpful, moving easily from clarinet to tenor or baritone sax, while drummer Craig Scott (wonderful with sticks or brushes) switches to vibes on Jobim’s “How Insensitive.” The closing number, Mack Gordon / Harry Warren’s “This Is Always,” is a sultry duet with pianist Chris Sigerson who teams with Scott, bassist Ken Lister and guitarist Ihor Kukurudza to comprise an impressive rhythm section. When all is said and sung, Jantzen is a pleasure to hear (and to see). ~ Jack Bowers   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=9017#.U08TwFdSvro

Personnel: Amandah Jantzen, vocals; Al Wold, tenor, baritone sax, clarinet; Chris Sigerson, piano; Ihor Kukurudza, guitar; Ken Lister, bass; Craig Scott, drums, vibes.

Devil May Care

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Amandah Jantzen - Northern Star (The Singapore Sessions)

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:59
Size: 122,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. Sequined Mermaid Dress
(4:59)  2. Lady Wants To Know
(2:03)  3. Social Call
(4:44)  4. The Night We Called It A Day
(4:34)  5. All Or Nothing At All / Stolen Moments
(4:30)  6. Northern Star
(4:08)  7. Willow Weep For Me
(4:50)  8. Bye Bye Country Boy
(3:27)  9. (I'm Just) Foolin' Myself
(2:39) 10. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:00) 11. There's No Such Thing As Love
(2:45) 12. Ev'rything I've Got
(5:10) 13. We'll Be Together Again

Jazz and popular music are overloaded with "overnight successes" who gain a great deal of attention when they burst upon the scene, only to slip away into obscurity within a short time. Amandah Jantzen is the complete opposite. Throughout her career she has gradually earned a strong reputation while mastering her craft. She is a singer who, once experienced, one never forgets. Amandah has the rare ability to uplift standards and make vintage songs sound fresh, new and topical. Her warm voice and swinging style, combined with a large repertoire, result in consistently memorable performances. She is never shy to embrace melodies and lyrics from the Great American Songbook, bringing out the hidden beauty in both, but her renditions are never predictable. She is a jazz singer yet also quite accessible to a wide audience. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Amandah was drawn to music from an early age. 

Although she occasionally performed at jam sessions and in piano bars, she primarily worked outside of the music industry until 1986. By then, having discovered in turn Al Jarreau, Linda Ronstadt's Nelson Riddle recordings, Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan, Amandah knew that she simply had to sing jazz. She relocated to Portland, Oregon five years later and became active locally, performing in jazz clubs and at concerts. She was particularly inspired by bassist Leroy Vinnegar and guitarist Charlie Byrd, developing into the warm and highly expressive singer that she is today. Byrd convinced Amandah that she should accompany herself on piano, a move which has added to the appeal and musicality of her performances. Amandah Jantzen's singing is well showcased on her three recordings, Some Other Time, Devil May Care and My Secret Love. She is also featured on a third of the songs on the Ellen Vanderslice compilation, Once in A Blue Moon, and half of the tunes on The Standard Vanderslice. Her newest CD, Northern Star/The Singapore Sessions was released in mid-2007. Because of the quality of these recordings and the popularity of her live engagements, I have picked Amandah as one of the top 500 jazz singers of all time and have included her in my book, The Jazz Singers, published by Backbeat Books in October, 2008. In addition to working in Portland (including long-term bookings at both the Doubletree and Heathman Hotels), Amandah has performed at extended engagements in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, at the Salishan Golf Resort on the Oregon Coast, at the Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and at the historic Ankeny's Restaurant atop the Ridpath Hotel in Spokane, Washington. 

She has also been featured as a soloist at the Du Maurier Jazz Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia; in Florida with tenor-saxophonist Turk Mauro and multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan, at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas, and has opened concerts for both Mc Coy Tyner and Charlie Byrd. She has been steadily building a growing following in Key West, Florida as well over the past few years.Internationally, she’s worked two engagements in Singapore, with multiple extensions that kept her busy for 15 months, culminating in the recording of her latest CD, (Northern Star.) Continuing her tour of Asia, she then performed extended bookings in Seoul, South Korea; Bali, Indonesia; New Delhi, India; Shanghai, China; Bangkok, Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam; and her latest, a full year in The Maldives. Additionally, in early 2008, she was featured in the Emirates Air Jazz Vocal Concert Series at Nardis Jazz Club in Istanbul, Turkey.In early 2006 she placed second in the 5th Annual Jazz Connect International Vocal Competition. She has also developed a steady base of “House Concert” appearances in the US where she works at regional jazz venues in between her long term bookings in Asia. Her most recent overseas jazz concert was at the Esplanade in Singapore in July of 2010 with a powerhouse trio & a captivated audience. An enthusiastic and charismatic performer who is also subtle, Amandah Jantzen is a constant joy, both musically and personally. She is on her way to becoming a major name in the overlapping worlds of jazz, cabaret and classic American pop music. ~ Bio written by Scott Yanow, Los Angeles, CA    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amandah-Jantzen/e/B001LHMPWW

Northern Star (The Singapore Sessions)

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