Nicki Parrott - Winter Wonderland

Styles: Holiday
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:08
Size: 142,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
(4:36)  2. Christmas In New Orleans
(3:35)  3. I'll Be Home For Christmas
(5:33)  4. The Christmas Song
(4:11)  5. Blackberry Winter
(3:51)  6. Blue Christmas
(4:23)  7. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(3:54)  8. Christmas Time Is Here
(3:40)  9. White Christmas
(4:05) 10. June In January
(4:42) 11. My Favorite Things
(3:24) 12. Winter Weather
(3:55) 13. Baby, It's Cold Outside
(3:28) 14. Winter Wonderland
(3:22) 15. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Acclaimed bassist & vocalist Nicki Parrott is joined by sax player Houston Person, pianist John di Martino along with a host of competent musicians for this album dedicated to songs of the Winter season including several Christmas tunes. You'll find such songs as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Blue Christmas", "June In January", "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm", and of course, "Winter Wonderland".

Personnel: Nicki Parrott, vocals, bass; John Di Martino, piano; Houston Person, tenor saxophone; Lisa Parrott, baritone saxophone; Paul Meyers, guitar; Tim Horner, drums

Winter Wonderland

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Ann Hampton Callaway - Blues In The Night

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:35
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:31) 1. Swingin' Away The Blues
(5:40) 2. Blue Moon
(6:22) 3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(3:24)  4. Lover Come Back To Me
(5:14)  5. Stormy WeatherWhen The Sun Comes Out
(3:43)  6. The I'm-Too-White-To-Sing-The-Blues Blues
(6:21)  7. Willow Weep For Me
(2:45)  8. Hip To Be Happy
(5:55)  9. It's All Right With Me
(4:35) 10. No One Is Alone
(4:51) 11. Blues In The Night
(3:08) 12. The Glory Of Love

Ann Hampton Callaway shows off her persuasive pipes on this memorable program of familiar songs and originals. Backed by pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Lewis Nash, she explores the kind of songs that drive Broadway wild. Sherrie Maricle's Diva big band appears on four tracks, while band members Anat Cohen (tenor saxophone) and Jami Dauber (trumpet) fill in on three additional selections with a moving spirit. With a blues theme running through her album, Callaway aims for the dramatic. You can pick up traces of expressive singers in her presentation; singers who have made an impact on her interpretation of this material, such as Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald. Callaway's "Hip to be Happy differs from most of the program. Here, she has put on her "Annie Ross thinking cap and has come up with a highly original song that feels as hip as Lambert, Hendricks Ross. She sings it with her sister, Liz, in a cool and comfortable posture. 

Blues in the Night fills the room with big band sounds as Callaway turns on the charm. She enjoys playing the role with authority. Her big voice belts the blues strong enough, and this band turns on the power for emphasis. Quieter interpretations such as "It's All Right with Me, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most and "Willow Weep for Me demonstrate the singer's heartfelt sincerity. Stephen Sondheim's "No One is Alone, from Into the Woods, brings a beautiful passion to the forum, magnified by Anat Cohen's sultry tenor statements. Tender ballads such as this one reveal the true blue side of Callaway's stage presence, while her program holds plenty of other surprises for her audience. Blues in the Night has all the right ingredients for a true jazz celebration.~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-in-the-night-ann-hampton-callaway-telarc-records-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Ann Hampton Callaway: vocals; Ted Rosenthal: piano; Christian McBride: double bass; Lewis Nash: drums; Liz Callaway: vocals; David Gilmore: guitar. Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra (1, 4, 6, 11): Sherrie Maricle: drums, leader; Noriko Ueda: double bass; Kristy Norter: alto saxophone, flute; Erica von Kleist: alto saxophone, clarinet, flute; Anat Cohen, Scheila Gonzalez: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Lisa Parrott: baritone saxophone; Tanya Darby, Jami Dauber, Nadje Noordhuis, Alicia Rau: trumpet; Deborah Weisz, Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Leslie Havens: bass trombone.

Blues In The Night

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Nicki & Lisa Parrott - The Awabakal Suite

Size: 155,2 MB
Time: 66:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Art: Front

01. Come And Get It ( 6:02)
02. Amblin' ( 7:02)
03. The Awabakal Suite - Part 1-Sawari, Part 2-Qrf, Part 3-Bound For (14:26)
04. Just You And Me As Evidence ( 3:53)
05. Cello Concerto ( 7:01)
06. One For Eric ( 6:12)
07. Jitterbug Waltz ( 5:41)
08. Second Chances ( 5:55)
09. Six Nettes ( 4:42)
10. Bound For South Australia ( 5:58)

The Parrott sisters have pooled their individual talents to release a CD that presents a 360 degree look-see at two of New York City's most exciting jazz musicians. Under the watchful eye of producer Rufus Reid, Nicki and Lisa take the listener on an eclectic jazz journey influenced by Australian folk as well as classical Western and Indian music. Although the creative re-working of standards like Monk's "Evidence" are intriguing, it is the self-penned compositions that make this CD a must-have.

Awabakal Suite is titled after an extinct Australian Aboriginal tribe from Lake Macquari, New South Wales. Nicki and Lisa, who were raised near this lake, elected to record the CD on January 26th, Australia Day. Commemorating the initial English landing, many Australians, including Nicki and Lisa, prefer to refer to this date as "Invasion Day". It has become a day of mourning for the subjugation of Aboriginal peoples. The suite blends Eastern and Western influenced changes in a manner reminiscent of Pharaoh Sanders' Upper and Lower Egypt. Didgeridoo sounds evoke images of native Australians and a marching snare signals British occupation as Lisa plays mournful sax. It is a piece that also weaves childhood themes with historical and political images ending with the catchy "Bound for South Australia", an Australian sea shanty often sung by Australian children.

Prior to this release, the sisters had gone in different directions. Lisa, known for her playing with big band "Diva", the PLK trio and for a smoky Ben Websteresque sax on two Derek Bronston Quartet releases has become a versatile contemporary player with a recognizable light touch who can also "honk" with the best. Nicki appears weekly with Les Paul and is one of New York City's most sought after bassists. She combines Skitch Henderson, Johnny Frigo and Johnny Varro session work with permanent spots in "David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness", "Mikveh", and the "Ron Jackson Duo". For their first collaboration, these two diverse musicians have put together a tight band prominently featuring Kevin Hays (piano) and Dion Parson (drums) that is able to adeptly switch styles while maintaining a solid rhythm.

Nicki's "Come and Get It" and Lisa's "Amblin" showcase Lisa's sax playing in a tight jazz combo setting, with some fine solo trading. Nicki never sacrifices this underlying rhythm for ego tripping solos. Of special mention is the arrangement of Schuman's Concerto in A Minor opus 129 for Cello and Orchestra. Kevin Hays treads that dangerous line of classical/jazz piano without sacrificing the inherent feel of the piece as Nicki plays the cello line exquisitely on bass. The listener's mind floats through heartrending images in the elegant Nicki Parrott composition "Second Chances" only to be jolted to the ceiling by "Six Nettes" that features some of Lisa's best manic playing and honks. Nicki keeps up and anticipates every move as bass and sax drive each other to the point of no return only to be brought back by Nicki's solid line to close out the album.

Up to this point, Nicki and Lisa Parrott were two musicians who happened to be sisters. With The Awabakal Suite they have hearkened back to common roots from their diverse individual perspectives to produce a collective self-portrait. ~by Elliott Simon

Personnel: Nicki Parott (double bass), Lisa Parrott (alto and baritone saxophone), Kevin Hays (piano), Dion Parson (drums), Cafe De Silva (percussion)

The Awabakal Suite  

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Kit McClure Band - Just The Thing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:37
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Diggin Dirt
(4:25)  2. One O'clock Jump
(4:28)  3. Just the Thing
(5:01)  4. I Never Get Tired
(3:51)  5. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:10)  6. Vi Vigor
(4:16)  7. Jump Children
(5:03)  8. She's Crazy With the Heat
(4:32)  9. Don't Get It Twisted
(5:34) 10. Slightly Frantic
(5:15) 11. Nyc Rap

Just the Thing is Part Two of the Kit McClure Band's warmhearted salute to the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a groundbreaking all-woman ensemble that came out of a school for poor black children in Piney Woods, Mississippi, to become one of the most widely successful and admired big bands of the World War II era. Whereas Part One was devoted for the most part to faithful transcriptions of original charts played by the Sweethearts, this second component consists of updated arrangements of those same charts, flavored with hip-hop, funk and salsa, presumably denoting the way the Sweethearts would be playing them today. As the Sweethearts are no longer with us, no one can reasonably argue the point. The first ten selections on Part 2 are the same as on Part 1 (although not in the same order), with Juan Tizol's "Perdido, the last track on the earlier album, replaced on this one by the clunky "NYC Rap, which, as one would expect, suffers by comparison (in other words, they don't write 'em like they used to). McClure had a hand in arranging and reupholstering every number, helped at times by pianist Cathy Harley, bassists Kim Clarke and Nicki Parrott, drummers Barbara Merjan, Bernice Brooks, Lakecia Benjamin and L. Olivia Sci, trombonist Britta Langsjoen and composer/arranger Maurice King who had written five of the tunes for the Sweethearts themselves. It's a sincere and interesting endeavor but as a rule lacks the vitality and enthusiasm of Part 1, which was a tad more straight-ahead and swinging. Several numbers "Vi Vigor, "Just the Thing, Don't Get It Twisted, "She's Crazy with the Heat, Basie's "One O'Clock Jump, a more laid-back version of Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose  are neat and handsome in their new clothing, while others don't fare quite as well. In that respect it's a split decision, one that rests in part on one's penchant for classic swing vs. cool and modern. 

Two selections "Jump Children and "I Never Get Tired were enhanced on the earlier session by one of the original Sweethearts, guitarist/vocalist Carline Ray, who's absent this time. Part Two's most explicit advantage lies in the playing time, 51:36 as opposed to the first album's meager 34:27. That gives the soloists more room to stretch, and McClure, Harley and the others make the most of it. Trumpeter Tanya Darby contributes a number of animated solos, as do drummer Benjamin (especially on "Vi Vigor ) and saxophonists Tia Fuller and Erica Von Kliest. While I'd give a narrow edge to Part One of The Sweethearts Project for overall charm and pleasure, Part Two has much to offer in its own right and is easily recommended. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/just-the-thing-kit-mcclure-band-redhot-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Kit McClure: alto, tenor sax, leader; Liesl Whitaker, Barbara Laronga, Laurie Frink, Tanya Darby: trumpet; Lakecia Benjamin, Lisa Parrott, Tia Fuller, Erica Von Kliest: alto sax; Kristy Norter: tenor sax; Claire Daly: baritone sax; Britta Langsjoen, Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Cathy Harley, Jill McCarron: piano; Nicki Parrott, Kim Clarke: bass; Barbara Merjan, L. Olivia Sci, Bernice Brooks: drums; Sue Hadjopoulos, Karen Jones: percussion.

Just The Thing

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Diva Jazz - A Swingin' Life

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:46
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love
(6:32)  2. Nothin'
(5:03)  3. All My Tommorrows
(2:45)  4. All Of Me
(6:09)  5. The Very Thought Of You
(4:38)  6. Pennies From Heaven
(4:17)  7. Blues Medley [Goin' To Chicago Blues; Kansas City; Every Day I Have The Blues]
(5:15)  8. Blackberry Winter
(2:58)  9. Wonder Why
(6:38) 10. Nocturne #6 Opus 9, Number 2
(5:34) 11. Blues For Hamp

What do you get when you have fifteen talented and swinging female jazz musicians in an orchestral setting? The answer, drummer Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra offering A Swingin' Life as proof that hard-charging big band music is not the exclusivity of the male gender. Building upon the work of more than a dozen previous albums, DIVA presents music from the Great American Songbook and more, capturing eleven audacious tracks recorded live by Jazz at Lincoln Center at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in New York and, at the renowned Manchester Craftsman's Guild in Pittsburgh.  Adding to the experience of these live performances are two very special guests, two giants of the business, two vocalists who have left their mark on the jazz world. Legendary singers Marlena Shaw and Nancy Wilson lend their vocal charm on five beautiful charts and while some are certainly swinging tracks for sure, there are a couple of ballads that take your breath away. Wilson takes the Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn standard "All My Tomorrows," to another level expressing heart-felt emotion as the band plays humbly. Vocalist Shaw lays down a warm and gentle performance delivering a fantastic interpretation of Alec Wilder's "Blackberry Winter" for the two soft spots of the album.  However, the limited tender material here is the exception and not the rule as the swinging times obviously carry the date. Opening up with a rousing rendition of Burt Bacharach's "What The World Need Now Is Love," the DIVA's announce their intentions with a full blast of the brass and reeds capped off by a solo from tenor saxophonist Janelle Reichman. 

Appearing once again as one of the main soloist, Reichman, this time on the clarinet, joins trumpeter Jami Dauber on the Stanley Kay piece "Nothin,'" another perky burner showcasing the band. On another of the few light tunes, Nadje Noordhuis on the flugelhorn is simply enchanting on the time-honored Ray Noble classic "The Very Thought of You" as Maricle is heard on the soft brushes making this number, one to remember. The group gets back to some hard-driving sounds on the swinging version of "Pennies from Heaven." Maricle and the girls get real bluesy on "Blues Medley," a fusion of "Going to Chicago Blues," "Kansas City," and "Every Day I have the Blues," featuring singer Shaw. 

The DIVAs show their powerful instrumental voices on the last three tunes showcasing their reach on "Wonder Why," "Nocturne #6 Opus 9, Number 2," and the Terry Gibbs arranged finale "Blues For Harp," demonstrating quite ably why this orchestra is regarded as one of the best jazz bands in the business. Kudos to Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra as they roar through a splendid repertoire of big band jazz on A Swingin' Life, combining instrumental muscle with the elegant vocals in a live setting that is thankfully, documented well here. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-swingin-life-diva-jazz-mcg-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Sherrie Maricle: drums; Sharel Cassity: alto saxophone, flute; Karoline Strassmayer: alto saxophone (3, 4); Leigh Pilzer: alto saxophone, flute, baritone saxophone (3, 4); Kristy Norter: alto saxophone (3, 4); Janelle Reichman: clarinet, tenor saxophone (3, 4); Anat Cohen: clarinet, tenor saxophone (3, 4); Roxy Coss: tenor saxophone; Scheila Gonzalez: tenor saxophone (3, 4); Lisa Parrott: baritone saxophone; Tanya Darby: lead trumpet, Flugelhorn; Liesl Whitaker: lead trumpet (3, 4); Jami Dauber: trumpet , Flugelhorn; Barbara Laronga: trumpet (3, 4); Carol Morgan: trumpet, Flugelhorn; Nadje Noordhuis: trumpet, Flugelhorn; Deborah Weisz: trombone; Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Lori Stuntz: trombone (3, 4); Leslie Havens: bass trombone; Tomoko Ohno: piano; Chihiro Yamanaka: piano (3, 4); Noriko Ueda: bass; Nancy Wilson: vocals (3, 4); Marlena Shaw: vocals (7, 8, 9).

Swingin' Life

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Sherrie Maricle & The Diva Jazz Orchestra - Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2008
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 120,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. I Love Being Here With You
(6:25)  2. Andalucia
(6:36)  3. Stars Fell On Alabama
(2:31)4. Sweet Georgia Brown (feat. Carmen Bradford)
(2:21)  5. This Can't be Love (feat. Carmen Bradford)
(3:02)  6. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water (feat. Carmen Bradford)
(5:58)  7. Rachel's Dream
(5:16)  8. Put a Little Love In Your Heart
(6:19)  9. Happy Talk
(5:22) 10. How Do You Keep The Music Playing (feat. Carmen Bradford)
(2:38) 11. All of Me (feat. Carmen Bradford)
(7:05) 12. TPN Blues
(6:31) 13. America

Diva's latest Cd was recorded over two nights last September at Dizzy's Club in Lincoln Center. The band devours John McNeil's swinging chart of Peggy Lee's "I Love Being Here With You," featuring Janelle Reichman's powerful tenor sax and Dauber's delicious muted trumpet. Tenorist Leigh Pilzer and flugelhornist Nadje Noordhuis share the spotlight in Scott Whitfield's lush setting of "Stars Fell on Alabama." The band adds some punch in their swaggering rendition of the pop song "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," hardly a standard, but it fits in just fine. Vocalist Carmen Bradford is added for four selections, highlighted by her soulful takes of "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "This Can't Be Love." 

The disc wraps with Ellen Rowe's imaginative scoring of Leonard Bernstein's "America," featuring Tomoko Ohno's driving piano, Lisa Parrott's gutsy baritone sax and Tanya Darby's sizzling trumpet. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sherrie-maricle-live-from-jazz-at-lincoln-center-and-what-the-world-needs-now-by-ken-dryden.php

Personnel: Sherrie Maricle: drums; Tomoko Ohno: piano; Noriko Ueda: bass; Sharel Cassity: alto sax; Erica Von Kleist: alto sax, soprano sax; Janelle Reichman: tenor sax, clarinet; Leigh Pilzer: tenor sax; Lisa Parrott: baritone sax; Tanya Darby: trumpet; Jami Dauber: trumpet, flugelhorn; Carol Morgan: trumept; Nadje Noordhuis: trumpet, flugelhorn; Deborah Weisz: trombone; Robynn Amy: trombone; Leslie Havens: bass trombone; Carmen Bradford: vocals.

Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

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The Diva Jazz Orchestra - Special Kay!

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2016
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 56:31
Size: 103,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:16)  1. Did You do That?
(6:52)  2. Nothin'
(6:58)  3. To Sweets with Love
(4:36)  4. Where's the Food
(6:25)  5. Give Me Your Love
(5:24)  6. How Ya Doin'?
(6:25)  7. You Made a Mistake
(4:41)  8. The Brush Off
(4:45)  9. Special Kay
(4:04) 10. Three Sisters and a Cousin

No, it is definitely not advisable to open a review with an unequivocal superlative (for one thing, it sort of gives the game away, doesn't it?). But on Special Kay!, its ninth impressive album in twenty-four years, DIVA the gold standard among all-female big bands since its inception really gives a commentator no reasonable choice. Simply put, this is a mind-blowing live performance at the Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek, NY, that electrifies and satisfies from start to finish. Perhaps one reason for the inspired endeavor is that the "Kay" in Special Kay! symbolizes Stanley Kay, a drummer-turned-talent manager (and entertainment director for the New York Yankees) who in 1990 approached another drummer, Sherrie Maricle, with the idea of forming an all-woman band. Two years later, DIVA made its widely-praised debut, and the rest, as they say, is history. Kay remained a driving force behind the orchestra until his passing in June 2010. Now, some six years later, DIVA pays tribute to its fallen leader by performing ten of his admirable compositions, several of which had never before been recorded. To underscore its import, Special Kay! marks the first time DIVA has ever produced an album of all-original themes. Among Kay's clients was the renowned tap-dancing trio Hines, Hines & Dad, and he wrote the flamboyant opener, "Did You Do That?" for Maurice and Gregory Hines' mother, Alma, who often asked that question after an especially intricate dance routine. The irrepressible barn-burner features a blistering duel between tenors Roxy Coss and Janelle Reichman who moves to clarinet to solo with trumpeter Tanya Darby on the strapping yet melodious "Nothin,'" trimly arranged by bassist Noriko Ueda. All trumpets are muted (and all solo) on "To Sweets with Love," Kay's loping homage to trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, which precedes another brisk flag-waver, "Where's the Food?," a question Kay always insisted was the first one asked by band members at every gig. 

Emphatic solos courtesy of baritone Lisa Parrott, trombonist Deborah Weisz and pianist Tomoko Ohno. So far, an avalanche of exhilarating big-band jazz, and we haven't even reached the halfway mark. Ohno and trombonist Jennifer Krupa are front and center on the seductive "Give Me Your Love," altos Leigh Pilzer and Sharel Cassity on Scott Whitfield's snappy arrangement of the fast-moving "How Ya Doin'?" Reichman (clarinet), Krupa (muted) and trumpeter Jami Dauber (also muted) brighten John J. DiMartino's swinging arrangement of "You Made a Mistake," after which Maricle assumes command on "The Brush Off," written especially for her by Kay to showcase her remarkable dexterity with brushes. "Special Kay," a charming bossa arranged by Ueda on which Cassity (flute) and trumpeter Barbara Laronga shine, leads to the roaring finale, "Three Sisters and a Cousin," Kay's answer to Jimmy Giuffre's "Four Brothers" and the first chart ever written by him for DIVA. As one would surmise, the saxophones are ascendant, with volcanic solos by all hands. Maricle closes the concert, appropriately, by exclaiming "We love you, Stanley Kay!" It's a love that is self-evident in almost every measure of this sensational album, arguably the pinnacle in a long line of splendid recordings by this prodigious orchestra, and one that is indeed Special in every way. Five stars all around: for concept, arrangements, execution, aerial balancing without a net, and especially for an abundance of ardor and esprit de corps.~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/special-kay-sherrie-maricle-diva-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Sherrie Maricle: music director, drums; Tanya Darby: trumpet; Jami Dauber: trumpet; Carol Morgan: trumpet; Barbara Laronga: trumpet; Sharel Cassity: alto sax, flute; Leigh Pilzer: alto sax, flute; Janelle Reichman: tenor sax, clarinet; Roxy Coss: tenor sax, clarinet; Lisa Parrott: baritone sax; Deborah Weisz: trombone; Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Leslie Havens: bass trombone; Tomoko Ohno: piano; Noriko Ueda: bass.

Special Kay!

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Sherrie Maricle & Diva - I Believe In You

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. I Feel Pretty
(3:46)  2. Limehouse Blues
(4:10)  3. Happy Days Are Here Again
(6:38)  4. I Believe In You
(9:36)  5. A Tribute To Ella Fitzgerald
(6:09)  6. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:28)  7. The Claw
(6:22)  8. 'Tis Autumn
(7:51)  9. You And The Night And The Music

Diva, according to Webster, is the female derivation of the Latin word divus in English, “divine” which is as accurate a term as any to use when describing drummer Sherrie Maricle’s high powered New York based big band whose third recording, I Believe in You, crackles with the sort of energy and passion inspired by Maricle’s peerless role model, the late Buddy Rich. When I first heard DIVA a number of years ago the band was quite good; today, in spite of the unavoidable changes in personnel, it is even better. Staying together and rehearsing regularly enriches any band, and for that we must thank Maricle, Stanley Kay, Mike Abene, Tommy Newsom and the many others who support DIVA and help keep it going. On the evidence here, there’s not much these women can’t do, and do as well as anyone. Section work is as tight as Camryn Mannheim’s corset, and the band swings without pause at any tempo. As with any topnotch ensemble, everything starts with the lead trumpet, and DIVA has one of the best in Liesl Whitaker (for confirmation, listen to her impressive sky notes on the ballad “In a Sentimental Mood” and her bold command throughout). 

As we mentioned, there are several newcomers on the date, and Maricle puts them right to work. Claire Daly’s successor, baritone saxophonist Lisa Parrott, solos on the breezy opener, “I Feel Pretty,” and is featured on Ellington’s “Sentimental Mood.” Alto saxophonist Karoline Strassmeyer, Laura Dreyer’s talented legatee, is showcased on Scott Whitfield’s volcanic arrangement of “Limehouse Blues” and solos as well on “I Believe in You,” “The Claw” and “You and the Night and the Music” (the last a framework for Maricle’s dazzling drum–kit artistry). Barbara Laronga is featured on Abene’s sultry Streisand like arrangement of “Happy Days Are Here Again” (flugel) and solos on “I Believe in You” (trumpet). DIVA often performs in concert its tribute to Ella Fitzgerald (arranged by Newsom), and here alto Kristy Norter has her turn on “Stompin’ at the Savoy” while pianist Lorraine Desmarais and bassist Debbie Kennedy are heard on “Lady Be Good.” Laronga, Jami Dauber and Lolly Bienenfeld comprise a delightful Andrews sisters–style vocal group on “A Tisket, a Tasket.” Among the holdovers, trombonist Deborah Weisz shines on “’Tis Autumn,” Dauber on “I Feel Pretty” (opening with a quote from “Killer Joe”) and tenor Cynthia Mullis on “The Claw” and “You and the Night and the Music.” The charts, by Newsom, Whitfield, Abene, Ellen Rowe and John McNeil, give the ensemble plenty of nourishing meat to chew on, and they devour each one with unbridled enthusiasm. This is one of the country’s foremost working bands, period. The more you listen, the more you hear. For a truly memorable experience, catch DIVA in person; if you can’t do that, here’s the best alternative. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/i-believe-in-you-sherrie-maricle-diva-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php 

Personnel:  Sherrie Maricle, leader, drums; Karoline Strassmayer, alto sax, flute; Kristy Norter, alto, soprano sax, clarinet, flute; Cynthia Mullis, Grazia DiGiorgio, tenor sax, clarinet, flute; Lisa Parrott, baritone sax, bass clarinet; Liesl Whitaker, Barbara Laronga, Tanya Darby, Jami Dauber, trumpet, flugelhorn, shaker; Lolly Bienenfeld, Deborah Weisz, trombone; Leslie Havens, bass trombone; Lorraine Desmarais, piano; Debbie Kennedy, bass.

I Believe In You

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