Lauren White And The Quinn Johnson Trio - Ever Since the World Ended

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:37
Size: 71,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:52) 1. If You Never Fall in Love with Me (Del Sasser)
(4:11) 2. Just the Two of Us
(4:16) 3. Ever Since the World Ended
(4:21) 4. Alone Together
(3:46) 5. Remembering the Rain
(3:53) 6. Some of That Sunshine
(3:39) 7. Take Love Easy
(2:35) 8. Shattered

There is a cadre of West Coast jazz musicians who tacitly orbit one Mark Winkler. This embarrassing wealth of talent includes: Cheryl Bentyne, Dolores Scozzesi, Judy Wexler, Robyn Spangler, Gary Brumburgh, Jeffery Gimble, Ada Bird Wolfe, and our present subject, Lauren White. White, an original East Coast product, expatriated to Westward to act and sing...and record. Her previous recording, Life In The Modern World (Cafe pacific Records, 2019) was the (unknowing) opening bookend to a most curious cultural year we are just completing. Considering the view from here and now, that album could have just as well been entitled, Life on Mars (with apologies to David Bowie). Life In The Modern World is now potently ironic considering our Darwinian, Covid-19 wake up call.

Eighteen months or so later, White reacts to the plague year with Ever Since The World Ended, the title piece a composition of Tippo, MS native Mose Allison. from his 2006 Blue Note recording of the same name. White shares vocal duties with friend and colleague Dolores Schozzesi. White used the pandemic as a programming opportunity, bringing together songs sung in response to the veritable unknown and never experienced.

Supported again by pianist Quinn Johnson and his rhythm section of bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Brinker. Lockdown and quarantine is captured in Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us," and the chestnut "Alone Together," an experience had by so many that the phrase, "the new normal," actually makes sense. The introversion of the period is expressed in the juxtaposition of "Remembering the Rain" (this helmed by bassist Kevin Axt, guitarist Grant Geissman, and drummer Chris Wabich) with "Some of that Sunshine."

White closes her recital with Jimmy Webb's plaintive "Shattered," completing the circle that began with Life In The Modern World, a modern world showing that the Medieval remains among us. White expands an already impressive artistry with a great mind for programming nuance. Higher themes enhance the listening experience, something White, and the rest of her West Coast Cadre, has internalized and put into capable practice. White's sturdy yet pliable alto guides a delicate balance through the disparate, yet related songs: soothing and accepting.~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ever-since-the-world-ended-lauren-white-cafe-pacific-records

Personnel: Lauren White: voice / vocals; Quinn Johnson: piano; Trey Henry: bass, acoustic; Ray Brinker: drums.

Ever Since the World Ended

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Lauren White - At Last

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:27
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. My One And Only
(4:01)  2. All I Do is Cry
(5:47)  3. Blue Bayou
(3:32)  4. Do You Remember
(4:06)  5. Mack the Knife
(7:02)  6. Love for Sale
(3:58)  7. Brand New Love
(4:33)  8. Superstar
(5:46)  9. My Funny Valentine
(3:14) 10. Why They Call it Falling
(4:21) 11. At Last

Musical suspicions are immediately raised when jazz singer Lauren White is described as a cross between Linda Ronstadt and Norah Jones. White is a twenty year-old native of Grapevine, Texas; a child prodigy singer from age four. She did, indeed, study with the same vocal coach as Jones, but the latter has little of White's smoky and seductive vocal assets as a jazz chanteuse. White performs Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou"which was one of Ronstadt's biggest hits on At Last, and even sings it in a similar manner, Still, her demeanor is significantly more low-key, avoiding the range of "Blue Bayou on the rest of the album. Now for the good news. This is one impressive debut session. The set list research factor alone shows that roughly half of this album will be unfamiliar material to most listeners. Beginning as a slinky seductress in an after-hours boite on Ira Gershwin's "My One and Only," White follows it up with her original "All I Do Is Cry" in a very similar mode. A jolt of familiarity follows with "Blue Bayou," but then she provides a poignant original, Do You Remember." In order to please the masses, Kurt Weill's world-famous "Mack The Knife" follows. Although delivered in the standard swing format, drummer Mark Ferber makes it interesting with an Ahmad Jamal "Poinciana -type pattern. White takes a chance on the Cole Porter classic "Love For Sale," beginning with the spooky verse, and when the familiar melody sets in, it is played for the storytelling of a "woman of the streets." 

Over the past few decades, it seems that too few vocalists have presented the song in the style or tempo that Ella Fitzgerald did on her Cole Porter Songbook (Verve, 1956). Guitarist Anthony Wilson, who also did the arrangement, gets in some fine blues licks on his solo, as does the appropriate use of Joe Bagg's Hammond B-3 organ. White sings Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine"a tune which should be given a temporary rest. Her version is ameliorated, however, by Ricky Woodward's gutsy tenor sax solo. Country singer Lee Ann Womack's Why They Call It Falling" is an unexpected treat; a lighthearted look at love on which Norah Jones could also have done a fine job. With the appetite-whetting At Last, the only question is: what's next? ~ Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/at-last-lauren-white-groove-note-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Lauren White: vocals; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Ricky Woodard: tenor sax; Brian Piper: piano and arrangements; Chuck Berghofer: bass; Joe Bagg: Hammond B-3 organ; Mark Ferber: drums.

At Last

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Lauren White - Life in the Modern World

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:41
Size: 115,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Life in the Modern World
(3:54)  2. Till I Get It Right
(4:54)  3. Signing Off
(4:51)  4. How Little We Know
(4:03)  5. Monk's New Tune
(5:48)  6. Coffee
(4:38)  7. Midnight Sun
(4:21)  8. Ellington's Sound of Love
(4:07)  9. Slowdown
(4:34) 10. In a New York Minute
(4:12) 11. American Tune

Los Angeles-based vocalist Lauren White teams with the superb vocalist and in-demand producer Mark Winkler for her third album, the eclectic storytelling Life in the Modern World, a collection of rarely covered standards from classic writers and interpretations of tunes from more contemporary ones. These tunes span almost 80 years of music. Her track list consists of tunes from Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald and Hoagy Carmichael to the modern writers Winkler, Kathryn Bostic and Ron Boustead. White delivers these in her warm smoky voice with clear articulation and elegance. White has found success as a singer but doesn’t have to quit her “day job” as producer of the hit HBO show Homeland either. She’s fortunate to be able to do both. Her TV role has her traveling between both coasts and that too is fortuitous, as she’s able to play in clubs and tap some of the best musicians from both New York and Los Angeles, arguably our two biggest jazz cities. You’ve likely seen some of these musicians grace several albums Kevin Axt and David Finck on bass, Marvin “Smitty” Smith and Chris Wabich on drums, Kevin Winard on drums and percussion, Grant Geissman on guitar, Alex Budman on horns, Francisco Torres on trombone, Tatum Greenblatt and Michael Stever on trumpet along with her collaborative partners Winkler on vocals and pianist Quinn Johnson. Johnson was the music director/pianist for Steve Tyrell for 16 years and has a staggering pedigree that includes Tom Scott, Flora Purim, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, and Rita Coolidge. Johnson also arranged and accompanied White on her Experiment release, Winkler, who has been on these pages several times, has 16 CDs as a leader and has had over 250 of his songs performed or recorded by other artists. Winkler also produced White’s most recent project, Out of the Past, Jazz & Noir. White opens with the title track, a rarely heard song originally performed by the Crusaders, followed by the swinging “’Til I Get It Right,” co-written by Winkler and performed with him as a duet. “Signing Off” is a little known Ella Fitzgerald tune that dates to 1961, where Ella wrote the lyrics. A better known standard comes from Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer in “How Little We Know,” written for the 1944 film To Have and Have Not, where Johnson has some fun with the arrangement, adding a cha-cha element. 

Another oft-covered tune is “Midnight Sun” from Lionel Hampton and Johnny Mercer. Eli Brueggemann, musical director of Saturday Night Live, provides a funky arrangement that has White’s vocal gliding smoothly over percolating rhythms.“Coffee’ is an LA inspired tune written by fellow vocalist Ron Boustead and Ken Kresge while “Slow Down” owes to Kathyrn Bostic, who is a composer, singer, and songwriter known for her work on film, TV, and live theater. This featues a lively three horn arrangement. Others include Michael Frank’s “Monk’s New Tune,” also with three horns and Charles Mingus’s “Ellington’s Sound of Love,” where White is backed by a piano trio. “In a New York Minute” is another bold, brassy tune with Winkler and White doing background vocals in addition to White’s lead. Rather incredibly, Johnson had never heard White’s choice for the closer, Paul Simon’s “American Tune.” So, perhaps advantageously, he brought a fresh perspective to the arrangement, which features Geismann’s guitar and Winard’s percussion. They slow down the tempo, showcasing the nuances in White’s emotive, warm delivery.  As with previous efforts from the three main collaborators, White, Winkler and Johnson, this is as elegant as vocal jazz gets. White brings maturity, sass, style and a natural effervescent charm that proves irresistible. ~ Jim Hynes https://www.makingascene.org/lauren-white-life-in-the-modern-world/

Personnel:  Chris Wabich - drums, Kevin Winard - drums & percussion, Grant Geissman - guitar, Alex Budman - horns, Francisco Torres - trombone, Tatum Greenblatt and Michael Stever – trumpet, Quinn Johnson – piano, Mark Winkler - producer/vocalist/lyricist.

Life in the Modern World

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Lauren White - Out Of The Past Jazz & Noir

Size: 99,9 MB
Time: 37:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. When All The Lights In The Sign Worked (4:20)
02. He's Funny That Way (4:17)
03. Again (3:39)
04. I'd Rather Have The Blues (4:15)
05. I'm Gonna Go Fishin' (3:29)
06. Amado Mio (4:28)
07. Laura - The Night We Called It A Day (5:05)
08. You Kill Me (3:22)
09. Haunted Heart (4:42)

Lauren White (vcl); Mitchel Forman (pno); Trey Henry (bs); Abe Lagrimas Jr. (dms); Andrew Carney (tpt); Andrew Synowiec (gtr); Hitomi (ten) + Lisa Liu String Quartet & Eclectic Plus One Brass Band.

Jazz vocalist Lauren White brings to life tunes featured in some of the most popular movies of the Film Noir era. With hip, contemporary arrangements, the CD is a sexy, fun, swinging, edgy project that will appeal to Film Noir buffs and to anyone who enjoys great songs sung with style and authority.

White is backed by an all-star band of top L.A. based musicians. With arrangements by Kathryn Bostic and produced by Mark Winkler, Out of the Past: Jazz & Noir is a superb undertaking that highlights the talents of a singer who has been flying under the radar for far too long.

Out Of The Past Jazz & Noir

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Lauren White - Meant To Be

Size: 100,1 MB
Time: 42:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Angel Eyes Your Heart Is As Black As Night (4:33)
02. I Can't Be New (4:29)
03. Chove Chuva (3:52)
04. Heart's Desire (3:59)
05. Wish (4:00)
06. Music After The Rain (3:37)
07. Now You Know (4:29)
08. The Meaning Of The Blues (4:18)
09. Everything Must Change (5:02)
10. Meant To Be (Saudades De Casa) (3:50)

Eminently soulful and stylish Los Angeles based vocalist Lauren White may be a relatively new face on the indie jazz scene, but she’s been leading up to her emergence with Meant To Be with a colorful career as a performer that includes appearing in musical shows on and off Broadway, acting on soap operas and working as a popular cabaret performer for many years.

It’s always inspiring when artists new to the public don’t play it safe by rehashing the same old standards we’ve heard a million times. More than simply a genre-transcendent 10 track set celebrating White’s many influences, Meant To Be is a true invitation. With her beautiful voice and crisp, emotional phrasing that goes inside the lyrics, she opens a door beyond these fresh interpretations of magical (and sometimes obscure) gems that will hopefully prompt listeners to embark on a whimsical musical discovery tour of their own.

It’s exciting to come along for the right as she doesn’t simply revisit, but fully re-imagines pieces by a fascinating and diverse roster of renowned artists and songwriters. The launching pad was Jorge Ben’s bossa classic “Chove Chuva” (originally recorded by Sergio Mendes), and she and her producer, keyboardist and chief arranger Quinn Johnson whip up a delightfully exotic treat. Wrapping the listener’s heart around their fingers, they tap into the catalogs of Susan Werner (“I Can’t Be New”), Dave Frishberg/Alan Broadbent (“Heart’s Desire”), Joshua Redman (“Wish,” with lyrics by one of the album’s arrangers, Eli Brueggemann), Stephen Sondheim (“Now You Know” from “Merrily We Roll Along”), Bobby Troup (“The Meaning of the Blues”), Bernard Ighner (“Everything Must Change”) and Ivan Lins (“Saudades de Casa,” refashioned in English as “Meant To Be”).

White also takes a unique liberty for a jazz-oriented recording by doing two original “mashups” (unexpected medleys)—one featuring the classic “Angel Eyes” mixed seamlessly with Melody Gardot’s “Your Heart Is As Black As Night,” the other blending the early Carole King tune “Music” with John Coltrane’s “After The Rain.”

Drawing on her long history and love of collaborations, Lauren brings these arrangements to life with a host of Los Angeles jazz stalwarts, including bassists Trey Henry and Hussain Jiffry, drummers Ray Brinker and Kevin Winard, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and guitarists Bob Mann and Kleber George. Although Lauren’s sultry voice and keen phrasing are the driving forces of Meant To Be, she says that the album is the dynamic result of a one of a kind synergy she shares with Johnson and the album’s executive producer, Clifford Bell. She met both of these key creative partners through Michael Orland (renowned for his work as Associate Musical Director on “American Idol”), who co-produced Lauren’s 2010 self titled debut album with guitarist Ted Perlman (“Buffalo Sound”) and performed traditional cabaret shows with her many times at Los Angeles venues like the Cinegrill and the Bel Age Hotel.
There are a lot of excellent standards interpreters around, but if you’re looking for fresh voices and songs that haven’t been done too often, Lauren White’s Meant To Be is an exciting place to start. ~Jonathan Widran

Meant To Be

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