Roseanna Vitro - Tell Me The Truth

Size: 139,6 MB
Time: 60:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. On Your Way Down (5:56)
02. Walkin' After Midnight (4:25)
03. Respect Yourself (5:54)
04. Your Mind Is On Vacation (5:10)
05. I'll Be Long Gone (7:09)
06. Foolin' Myself (5:51)
07. Tell Me The Truth (5:21)
08. When Will I Be Loved (4:23)
09. Fortunate Son (5:26)
10. A Healing Song (5:57)
11. I'll Fly Away (4:27)

It is completely fitting that vocalist Roseanna Vitro conceive of and release a recording devoted to the music of the American South. But, this is not just any thoughtlessly- assembled concept recording. Vitro is the master of intelligently programmed and produced thematic albums as evidenced by: Catching Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles (Telarc, 1997); The Time of My Life: Roseanna Vitro Sings the Songs of Steve Allen (Seabreeze, 1999); Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans (A Records, 2001); The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer (Half Note Records, 2008); The Music of Randy Newman (Motema, 2011); and Clarity: Music of Clare Fischer (Random Act, 2014). At best, these are not subjects one would expect addressed on a jazz recording. That said, Vitro, and husband/producer Paul Wickliffe, have made a creative habit of envisioning and producing such unlikely, and well-executed projects.

A native of Hot Springs, Arkansas, Vitro is part of a rich local musical tradition that included Johnny Cash, Bob Dorough, Glenn Campbell, Al Green, Levon Helm, among others. Her Southern bona fides are beyond question. But "Southern Music" describes a diffuse expanse of material. This is where Vitro is at her programming best. In all her similar projects, she resists the obvious. She proves this by kicking off Tell Me the Truth with Allen Toussaint's "On Your Way Down," a darkly-colored classic covered by Little Feat, Gov't Mule, and Phish, among many others. In Vitro's hands, this menacing, New Orleans Gris Gris is transformed into an upbeat, Latin-inflected tome on humility when especially gifted. Pianist Mark Soskin provides a sharp arrangement that features guitarist Mitch Stein in an assertive and distorted guitar solo and saxophonist Tim Ries waxing R&B on tenor.

While Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" has been covered by other jazz vocalists (Patrice Jegou, Livia Devereux, Lawrence Lebo, Tierney Sutton; Kari Gaffney), Vitro injects a breezy, strolling quality to the song. She sings with a soulful abandon steeped in the jazz tradition. Vitro shares duet singing duties with Al Chestnut on the Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself" and trio duties with Kate McGarry and Cindy Scott (with one Sara Caswell on violin) on Eli Yamin's "A Healing Song, all with festive results. Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" in transmuted into a 21st Century jazz anthem. Vitro finds much common ground with Mose Allison on the latter's "Your Mind is on Vacation," at the same time turning the soul meter on Boz Scagg's "I'll Be Long Gone." Roseanna Vitro should be rightly heard as one of our leading jazz vocalists today. Her track record of smartly programmed recordings is ample evidence of this. Tell Me the Truth is a valuable addition to her continuing contribution to jazz vocals. By C.Michael Bailey

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro: vocals, arrangements; Mark Soskin: piano, group and horn arrangement; Dean Johnson: bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Mitch Stein: guitars; Tim Ries: saxophone; Nathan Eklund: trumpet; Al Chestnut: vocals (3); Sara Caswell: violin (10); Kate McGarry: vocals (10); Cindy Scott: vocals (10).

Tell Me The Truth

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Roseanna Vitro - Softly

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 60:40
Size: 111,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Falling In Love With Love
(5:36)  2. In Summer (Estate)
(4:54)  3. A Song For Al Ages
(4:38)  4. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(4:24)  5. Moon And Sand
(6:05)  6. So Many Stars
(3:44)  7. I'm Through With Love
(6:17)  8. Wild Is The Wind
(4:19)  9. Life I Choose
(3:54) 10. Our Love Rolls On
(3:07) 11. Nothing Like You
(5:11) 12. Why Try To Change Me Now
(4:46) 13. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues

Singer Roseanna Vitro is expert at interpreting lyrics and scats with a strong sense of adventure. Ballads predominate on her excellent Concord CD, but there are also a few cookers (including a surprisingly rapid "I'm Through With Love"). The singer covers a wide variety of material (some of it of recent vintage) with a touching version of "So Many Stars" being a high point. Vitro is greatly assisted by a fine trio starring pianist Fred Hersch; the tenors of Tim Ries and George Coleman help out on some selections. This rewarding CD gives one a fine example of Roseanna Vitro's talents. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/softly-mw0000622618

Softly

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Roseanna Vitro - Live At The Kennedy Center

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:19
Size: 150,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)1. Like Someone in Love
(6:09)2. Like a Lover
(5:40)3. Please Do Something
(0:32)4. Introduction to Commitment
(7:07)5. Commitment
(5:16)6. Worried over You
(6:22)7. I Think It's Going to Rain Today
(4:58)8. Tryin' Times
(5:02)9. Serrado
(0:24)10. Introduction to Twelve Tone Tune
(4:13)11. Twelve Tone Tune
(5:36)12. Epilogue
(9:09)13. Black Coffee

Roseanna Vitro is on tour throughout the U.S. these days, promoting her new CD, Live At The Kennedy Center. She gave two performances in New York recently, the CD's launch at The Blue Note on May 29 and an all-Porter tribute show at The Jolly Madison Hotel's Whaler Bar on the composer's birthday June 9. Porter didn't show, but one wonders what he would make of the metamorphosis in jazz singing that has occurred since his heyday as a jazz composer in the 1930s. It's hard to imagine that Porter would have any complaints: Vitro is the quintessence of modern vocal jazz interpretation. Vitro demonstrates an impressive command of jazz technique and invests each moment of her performance with a visceral understanding of the material.

Vitro admitted that she had to learn several new tunes in a short period of time for the Jolly Madison gig; if she hadn't mentioned it no one would have known, so exceptional is her improv ability. But don't take my word for it. Vitro's audiences are often filled with other singers and musicians.

You know a singer is good when other singers and the musicians come out to hear her.Vitro is careful to select some of the best instrumentalists around for her band. David Budway (piano), Dean Johnson (bass) and Tim Horner (drums) backed her at the Jolly Madison. Budway is a demon player equally at home with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as with the likes of jazz violinist Regina Carter and drummer Jeff 'Tain' Watts. On the CD and at The Blue Note Vitro appeared with her long-standing collaborator Kenny Werner on piano, along with Johnson and Horner, her ever-faithful rhythmic anchors. Besides artful playing, Werner contributed musical direction and arrangements to the Kennedy Center live recording. Werner recently signed with Blue Note Records; his playing and Vitro's vocals give a rare and valuable lesson in abandonment to artistic impulse.

Among the recording's many inspirational moments: "Commitment, a ballad with music by Werner and lyrics by Vitro's husband, saxophonist Paul Wickliffe; and a free improv piece called "Twelve Tone Tune (or "T.T.T. ), with music by Bill Evans and lyrics by Wickliffe. The disc also shows off Vitro's strong ;B chops on the blues tunes "Black Coffee and "Tryin' Times. Vitro represents the U.S. internationally as one of the State Department's Jazz Ambassadors. ~ Suzanne Lorge http://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-the-kennedy-center-roseanna-vitro-challenge-records-review-by-suzanne-lorge.php

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro: vocals; Kenny Werner: piano; Dean Johnson: bass; Tim Horner: drums.

Live At The Kennedy Center

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Roseanna Vitro - Tropical Postcards

Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:15
Size: 140,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. Song Of The Jet
(6:46)  2. Land Of Wonder
(3:50)  3. I'll Be Seeing You
(5:21)  4. Certas Canções
(5:28)  5. Kisses
(5:17)  6. I Just Need Your Kisses
(5:50)  7. Reza
(3:47)  8. I Remember You
(5:27)  9. Wave
(5:49) 10. Cravo E Canela
(7:53) 11. In Search Of My Heart

Tropical Postcards isn't the first time that Roseanna Vitro has embraced Brazilian jazz; over the years, the expressive vocalist has recorded some Brazilian songs here and there. However, Tropical Postcards is the first time that Brazilian jazz has seriously dominated one of her albums, and it is also among her best, most inspired and memorable projects. Vitro doesn't embrace Brazilian jazz exclusively on Tropical Postcards; she gets away from the album's Brazilian theme on McCoy Tyner's "In Search of My Heart" (which favors more of a modal/Indian/Middle Eastern ambience) and Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You." Nonetheless, Brazilian jazz is the album's primary direction, and that theme serves Vitro impressively well whether she is tackling Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave" and two Milton Nascimento songs ("Cravo e Canela" and "Certas Cancoes") or providing a bossa nova interpretation of the standard "I'll Be Seeing You."

Thankfully, Tropical Postcards doesn't have an all-standards-all-the-time policy; Vitro, much to her credit, isn't afraid to offer some surprises when it comes to selecting material. "Wave," "I'll Be Seeing You" and "I Remember You" have been recorded countless times, but Vitro true to form also surprises us with some gems that jazz vocalists haven't paid nearly as much attention to, including Tom Harrell's "Terrestris" and Ivan Lins' "I Just Need Your Kisses." Clearly, Vitro is smart enough to realize that a song doesn't have to be a Tin Pan Alley warhorse to have value, and she knows how important it is for a jazz vocalist to put his/her stamp on some lesser known pearls. Tropical Postcards is an excellent addition to Vitro's catalog. ~ Alex Henderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/tropical-postcards-mw0000209663

Recording information: Charlestown Road Studios, Hampton, NJ. Photographer: Paul Wickliffe.

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro (vocals); Dean Johnson , Nilson Matta, Robert E. Bowen (bass instrument); Tom Lellis (vocals); Romero Lubambo (guitar, acoustic guitar); Chieli Minucci (guitar, electric guitar); Don Braden, Joe Lovano (saxophone); Kenny Werner (piano); Duduka Da Fonseca, Cecil Brooks III (drums); Mino Cinelu (percussion); Trio da Paz.

Tropical Postcards

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Roseanna Vitro - Sing a Song of Bird

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:35
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:55) 1. People Chase
(5:14) 2. The Scatter
(3:21) 3. Bird’s Song
(4:42) 4. Parker’s Mood
(5:22) 5. Grapple With The Apple
(4:49) 6. Audubon’s New Bluebird
(4:43) 7. Sheila, Jazz Child
(6:43) 8. Quasimodo
(4:31) 9. Now’s The Time
(6:17) 10. Yardbird Suite
(4:27) 11. Ko Ko / Cherokee
(5:26) 12. These Foolish Things

Vocalist Roseanna Vitro is a favorite among jazz aficionados and musicians alike. That’s why Cedar Walton has said, “Roseanna Vitro, one of my favorite vocalists, sings with a great feeling for jazz. Her readings on major compositions are monumental.” Her outsized talents and passion for the music are matched only by the generosity of her spirit, which shines beautifully on her newest recording Sing a Song of Bird, a celebration of the great and inimitable Charlie Parker. Vitro conceived this project driven by a desire to develop new lyrics to Parker tunes. She chose to share the microphone with three of her mentors, bebop jazz legends Sheila Jordan, Bob Dorough, and Marion Cowings, each of whom take solo turns with their soulful interpretations of several compositions by Bird. Sing a Song of Bird has taken a long time to come to fruition. It was recorded in two sessions, the first in 2017 and the second in 2021.

Vitro had seen Jordan many times on the New York City jazz scene. She has held Jordan in the highest regard, not only for her singing, but also who she is as a person. Vitro says, “I love everything about Sheila. She is a shining example for young or older jazz singers all over the world. She treats everyone with love and dignity, plus she proudly carries the soul and spirit of Charlie Parker's music.” Vitro and Dorough are both natives of Arkansas. They first met in 1998, when they were inducted into the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame. They soon became friends, and Vitro recorded his song “Nothing Like You” on her 1994 release, Softly. But she had never worked with Dorough, nor had she worked with Jordan. So Vitro conceived of the Bird album as a way to share the stage with two of her favorite artists.

Jordan and Dorough were thrilled with the opportunity to appear on the same bill with each other and Vitro, and the chemistry was apparent right from their first gig at the Deerhead Inn in the Poconos. Vitro relates the story of one of their last gigs, “Bob was such a beautiful soul. We were scheduled to do a show at Kitano in New York, but Bob pulled out. He was very ill with cancer and was going into hospice. It was terrible news. The show was booked and I had already hired a replacement, when I got call from Bob asking me if I still wanted him to do the show because he didn’t die and they kicked him out of hospice. He showed up and was amazing.”

Because Dorough’s health was failing, Vitro quickly organized a session to document his vocalese to Parker’s “Bluebird” and lyrics to “Red Cross.” Vitro is known as one of the premier interpreters of lyrics, and her concept for the album was to sing several Bird tunes with fresh lyrics. She and her husband Paul Wickliffe, who is also a master recording engineer and producer of this album, wrote new lyrics to some tunes, as did Dorough and Jordan. Vitro relates, “I flipped when I first heard Bob’s masterpiece, ‘Audubon's New Bluebird.’ Bob had started writing the lyrics years ago, but never got around to finishing. Although he had wanted to finalize them for years, making the album was the impetus he needed to finally complete them. He was 94 years young when he finished the lyrics and recorded with us. It was worth the wait.”

Vitro assembled some of the top East Coast musicians for the first session, including Mark Gross on alto saxophone, who is featured on two Grammy- winning albums of Dave Holland, pianist Jason Teborek, prolific bassist Dean Johnson, and veteran jazz drummer Bill Goodwin, well-known for 30 years with Phil Woods. Unfortunately, the album was put on hold after Bob Dorough’s passing, in addition to many life changes, including Covid-19. When it looked like the worst of the pandemic was behind us, Vitro arranged for a second session with a new band. She brought on board an old friend, jazz singer Marion Cowings, a master of scat and vocal technique. Vitro says, “Jon Hendricks loved Marion. He possesses an extraordinary voice, interpreting bebop music with clear diction and heart.”

She also added famed saxophonist Gary Bartz to the mix. Bartz’s history with McCoy Tyner plus his compositions and recordings are well- known in the jazz world. Also in the band are two-time Grammy winner, pianist Alan Broadbent, and swingin’ drummer Alvester Garnett. Bassist Dean Johnson, who appears on the first session, completes the band. Vitro opens the album with “People Chase,” based on “Steeplechase,” with a tale of how the “human race is like a horse race” written by Paul Wickliffe. Vitro and Dorough trade scats on “The Scatter,” with new lyrics by Dorough sung to Bird’s “Red Cross.” “Bird’s Song” (“Relaxin’ at Camarillo”) by Sheila Jordan, is a history of Bird and the musicians who were on the scene. Jordan sang with Bird and her singing on the tune is a master class in bebop phrasing. Cowing’s rich, baritone voice breathes new life into “Parker’s Mood,” with the original lyrics by King Pleasure.

“Audubon's New Bluebird,” based on “Bluebird,” is a prime example of the wit, personality, and immense songwriting talents of Dorough. Vitro finally gets her chance to perform with Jordan on “Sheila, Jazz Child,” based on “Cheryl” with the original first verse lyrics by Gary Brocks, followed by Wickliffe’s ending two verses. On “Quasimodo,” Jordan adds her own original lyrics that describe how important Bird’s music has been to her. Vitro takes a solo turn on “Grapple with the Apple,” based on “Scrapple From the Apple,” re-imagined as a bossa nova with Wickliffe’s lyrics about a New Yorker flying to the beach to escape the madness. Cowings really swings on “Now’s the Time,” singing Jon Hendricks’ well-known lyrics with one verse by Eddie Jefferson.

Vitro sings Bird lyrics to “Yardbird Suite.” “Koko/Cherokee” is an instrumental tune featuring the magnificent Gary Bartz. Vitro saved “These Foolish Things” for the closer. Although it’s not a Charlie Parker tune, she wanted to sing these beautiful lyrics with Bob and Sheila. This song speaks to the joy and love they shared together in this special moment. It is a unique and memorable recording with three legends singing together.

Sing a Song of Bird is a special recording that goes beyond being a mere tribute album – it’s legacy. Dorough was 94 and Jordan was 89 when they recorded the heartfelt stories from their lives. Their status as jazz legends is uncontested. Dorough is no longer with us, but Jordan is still going strong, with a busy schedule and performances around the world. Marion Cowings may be heard for the first time here, but we’re sure it won’t be the last. And, of course, we are very lucky to have Roseanna Vitro still making music and dedicated to exploring new avenues of creativity, as she will for years to come. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/famed-vocalist-roseanna-vitro-releases-sing-a-song-of-bird-feat-sheila-jordan-bob-dorough-marion-cowings

Featuring Sheila Jordan, Bob Dorough, Marion Cowings, Gary Bartz, Mark Gross

Sing a Song of Bird

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Roseanna Vitro - Listen Here

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:01
Size: 114,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:02) 1. No More Blues
(4:12) 2. You Go To My Head
(4:59) 3. Centerpiece
(4:55) 4. Love You Madly
(5:43) 5. A Time For Love
(3:39) 6. This Happy Madness
(3:06) 7. Listen Here
(3:20) 8. It Could Happen To You
(3:48) 9. Easy Street
(3:49) 10. Sometime Ago
(3:13) 11. You Took Advantage Of Me
(5:10) 12. Black Coffee

Vocalist Roseanna Vitro performer, recording artist, educator and journalist reissues Listen Here, the debut album that launched her career. Featuring veteran pianist Kenny Barron, the project ushered into the spotlight a formidable new artist with chops and sensitivity in equal measure a galvanizing spirit who, having already proven she could move live audiences, now certified her power on vinyl. The accompanying musicians on Listen Here are Kenny Barron (piano), Buster Williams (bass) and Ben Riley (drums). Also joining in are Arnett Cobb (saxophone), Duduka Da Fonseca (percussion), Scott Hardy (guitar) and Bliss Rodrigues (piano, on “Centerpiece”). Arrangements were supplied by Fred Hersch, with liner notes by Steve Allen.Though this is a first recording, Vitro shows herself a mature jazz singer. Representative jazz standards bear that out: “I Love You Madly,” “It Could Happen to You,” “No More Blues” and “You Took Advantage of Me.” She swings and emotes and surrenders herself in the service of the music. She is filled with life. Her subsequent efforts underscored the point. Following Listen Here, she waxed a number of albums that re-imagined the works of popular music’s greatest songwriters and stylists – among them, Ray Charles, Bill Evans, Clare Fischer and Randy Newman. It was through the latter’s artful song narratives that Vitro earned a Grammy nomination (The Music Of Randy Newman).

Vitro bravely ventured through the Americana of her blues and jazz roots, through the music of Brazil. Along the way, she distinguished herself in a host of group configurations from duets to big bands. Hailing from Hot Springs, Arkansas, Vitro began singing professionally in Houston. She soon found herself as a protégé of tenor player Arnett Cobb and singer- educator Ray Sullenger. She became a regular on the Houston jazz scene. Ultimately, she landed a steady gig at the Green Room, where she sang with jazz’s greatest practitioners, including Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, Bill Evans and countless other notables. Her move to New York City enabled her to jump into the city’s vibrant jazz scene, and helped cement her credentials. Supporters and collaborators soon followed a generational mix of prestigious talents: Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Mark Soskin, Christian McBride, George Coleman, Joe Lovano, Kirk Whalum, David “Fathead" Newman, Elvin Jones and Eddie Gomez, to name a few. Vitro decided to re-release Listen Here because the time was right. She and her husband Paul Wickliffe, an accomplished sound engineer with a storied career, recently became grandparents. Their perspective has changed. “It was time to take stock of my life and look back at my career,” she says. “Some of my earlier records were never transferred to a digital format, so they are no longer available. And many reviewers and DJs who have known me over the years have moved on. I think these early recordings stand the test of time, and I want to introduce them to a new generation.” In the meantime, she continues to imagine projects and opportunities that help fulfill her belief in music’s ability to heal. As ever, she seeks to reach people. Esteemed jazz journalist Neil Tesser said in USA Today, “Roseanna can sing rings around half the vocalists you can name. Her warm, confident clarity of tone is immediately noticeable, but most startling is her boldness of phrasing.” He might have added, “her unerring talent for finding the truth through song,through the communal experience of sharing it.” The evidence can be heard easily. Listen Here. https://news.allaboutjazz.com/grammy-nominated-vocalist-roseanna-vitro-reissues-1984-debut-album-listen-here-feat-kenny-barron-trio

Personel: Roseanna Vitro (Vocal), Kenny Barron (piano), Buster Williams (bass) and Ben Riley (drums), Arnett Cobb (saxophone), Duduka Da Fonseca (percussion), Scott Hardy (guitar)

Listen Here

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Kenny Werner & Roseanna Vitro - Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:59) 1. What Is Hip
(9:05) 2. Goodnight Nelda Grebe, the Telephone Company Has Cut Us Off
(7:40) 3. Blue
(4:24) 4. Be Cool
(8:07) 5. Half Moon
(5:13) 6. In the Dark
(4:45) 7. Cheater Man
(6:42) 8. Everybody's Cryin' Mercy
(8:26) 9. Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down

This all-star jazz-meets-R&B project, recorded live at the Blue Note in August '07 is orchestrated by vocalist Roseanna Vitro and pianist Kenny Werner who contributes several head-spinning arrangements of familiar blues, rhythm and blues, and not-quite-blues. The album certainly gets an "A" for effort. "I found the writing process fascinating. Some of the tunes were very familiar in their original recorded versions, but I still wanted to give them a new spin," enthuses Werner. "That required me to honor the essence of what made them work the first time around whether they were funky or nasty or rockin."Werner's opening rearrangement of the '70s R&B classic "What is Hip?" comes blasting out like a cannonball and smartly retains most of the original Tower of Power horn chart, which maximizes the considerable punch of the Delirium all-star horns: Ray Anderson (trombone), Randy Brecker (trumpet), James Carter (tenor sax) and Geoff Countryman (baritone sax, bass clarinet). "Cheater Man" similarly plays rough and tumble but with the big-band R&B meets blues sound of Roomful of Blues, especially when the horns play cat-and-mouse with Rocky Bryant's whippersnap snare in the bridge.

Joni Mitchell's "Be Cool" fits Vitro's voice and delivery best, with Werner's arrangement wafting comfortably in Mitchell's ethereal and floating jazz-pop fusion, bobbing like a balloon after air punches from its horn chart. Werner's take on "Blue," co-written by Jon Hendricks, echoes the classic "big band with vocalist" sound: Overlaying horns harmonize the introduction, then step aside for Vitro's dance with Werner's acoustic piano to time softly kept by brushes; Vitro steps aside in turn for James Carter's well-trimmed alto solo. Arranged to a rousing blend of classic blues styles the chugging locomotive of electric Chicago blues lugging a boxcar bursting with New Orleans brass "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" proves the perfect closer. Vitro tugs and pulls with all her might though she sometimes seems a bit overmatched if not by Werner's arrangements then by the material (Lil Green's "In the Dark," for example). Even so, Werner and guitarist Adam Rogers rip off electric blues solos almost as torrid as the call and response between Brecker and Anderson, who proceeds to blow out all the windows with his trombone solo rampage. ~ CHRIS M. SLAWECKI https://www.allaboutjazz.com/serve-or-suffer-delirium-blues-project-half-note-records-review-by-chris-m-slawecki.php

Personnel: Kenny Werner: keyboards, arrangements; Roseanna Vitro: vocals; Randy Brecker: trumpet; James Carter: tenor sax; Ray Anderson: trombone; Geoff Countryman: baritone sax; Adam Rogers: guitar; John Patitucci: acoustic bass, electric bass; Rocky Bryant: drums.

Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer

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Roseanna Vitro - The Music of Randy Newman

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:43
Size: 124,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:55)  1. Last Night I Had A Dream
(5:48)  2. Sail Away
(6:16)  3. If I Din't Have You
(4:05)  4. Everytime It Rains
(5:59)  5. Baltimore
(4:35)  6. In Germany Before The War
(4:36)  7. Mama Told Me Not To Come
(6:06)  8. I Will Go Sailing No More
(6:02)  9. Feels Like Home
(5:17) 10. Losing You

With Randy Newman's long-awaited Songbook Vol. 2 (Nonesuch, 2011) and vocalist Roseanna Vitro's album-length salute to his music hitting stores a week apart, it would seem that it's time for revived interest in all things Newman. While the singer/songwriter's release is a solo journey through his own catalog, Vitro's album presents ten of his pieces dressed in newly tailored arrangements from pianist Mark Soskin. Vitro touches on material from throughout Newman's storied career, but she tends to avoid the music that highlights his wry sense of humor and intentionally smarmy delivery in favor of narratives of all shapes and sizes. Some pieces receive radical facelifts ("Last Night I Had A Dream") that brighten up the music and change the overall impression of the work, while others retain their original essence and are simply tweaked to fit this ensemble and genre of music ("Sail Away"). While loyal fans of Newman's music will likely know every tune on the program, from early-career landmarks ("Sail Away") to latter-day songs of love and loss ("Losing You"), those uninitiated in the cult of his compositions will probably favor the two pieces from Pixar films. 

Vitro does a fine job on both, with "If I Didn't Have You," Newman's Academy Award-winning number from Monsters, Inc. (2001) re-imagined as bossa-to-samba journey, and "I Will Go Sailing No More," from Toy Story (1995), performed in an appropriately understated manner. Violinist Sara Caswell is, with the exception of Soskin and Vitro herself, the most important part of this package. She crafts elegant lines ("Sail Away"), sizzles over some Brazilian beats ("If I Didn't Have You"), marries sweeping gestures of sound with sadness and sunshine ("Losing You"), provides understated counterpoint, and helps to define the overall ensemble sound on this record. Vitro is a storyteller nonpareil and a fine vocalist, with a voice that can comfortably go from tender ("Losing You") to sassy ("Mama Told Me Not To Come Home), and her skills help to elevate the large majority of these pieces to great artistic heights. While the album does contain a misstep or two, like a take on "Baltimore" that lacks the necessary despair and seems to be draped in the wrong aural fabric, this has little do with Vitro's vocals. The Music Of Randy Newman deserves to be heard, not only for its unique arrangements and finely crafted performances, but for the beauty and wonder that Vitro injects into the works of an American icon. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-music-of-randy-newman-roseanna-vitro-motema-music-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro: vocals; Mark Soskin: piano; Sara Caswell: violin; Dean Johnson: bass; Tim Horner: drums (1-5, 7-10); Jamey Haddad: drums, percussion (1, 2, 5, 6); Steve Cardenas: guitar (1, 2, 5, 6).

The Music of Randy Newman

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Roseanna Vitro - Catchin' Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:01
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:27)  1. Unchain My Heart
(5:22)  2. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'
(4:40)  3. One Mint Julip
(6:28)  4. Night time Is The Right Time / But, On the Other Hand
(6:17)  5. Them That's Got
(4:41)  6. I Don't Need No Doctor
(5:16)  7. Tell Me You'll Wait For Me
(4:09)  8. Sticks and Stones
(5:25)  9. The Danger Zone
(3:05) 10. Roll With My Baby
(3:44) 11. Lonely Avenue
(6:22) 12. You Don't Know Me / Ruby

Roseanna Vitro is a very talented and versatile singer, as she proves throughout this highly enjoyable set. Vitro performs 14 songs (including a pair of two-song medleys) associated with Ray Charles. Although jazz has long been only a small part of Charles' music, the tunes are transformed into swinging and soulful jazz by Vitro. The instrumentation changes throughout the date, but often features pianist Ken Werner (who duets with the singer on a medley of "You Don't Know Me" and "Ruby"), trumpeter Eddie Henderson, and tenorman David "Fathead" Newman, among others; some of the songs utilize a larger than usual band. Highlights include "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'," a swinging "One Mint Julep," "I Don't Need No Doctor" and "Lonely Avenue." Thankfully, Roseanna Vitro avoids many of Brother Ray's best-known hits (including "Georgia On My Mind") in favor of songs better suited to her style and to this setting. A continually interesting set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/catchin-some-rays-the-music-of-ray-charles-mw0000027836

Catchin' Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles

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Roseanna Vitro - Clarity: Music Of Clare Fischer

Size: 131,2 MB
Time: 56:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Morning (6:34)
02. Web Of Love (Inquietacao) (5:27)
03. Love's Path (Love's Walk) (5:32)
04. Seagull (Gaviota) (5:15)
05. Swingin' With The Duke (The Duke) (4:55)
06. Pensativa (6:23)
07. Life's Journey (Pavillon) (5:39)
08. Sleep My Child (Sleep Sweet Child) (4:42)
09. Take Your Breath And Sing (O Canto) (5:51)
10. I Remember Spring (5:58)

Roseanna Vitro is a "singer's singer." What does that mean? It means she is so excellent and still warranting much more attention. Her deep and precise alto is perfectly tuned and balanced. Her phrasing is textbook. This is what a jazz singer sounds like.

But Vitro's skill set does not stop at vocal prowess. She is also a crack arranger, programmer and music journalist. That is a wealth of grace and talent from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Vitro's projects are also well-considered and assembled. Throughout her career, she has been intelligently judicious in selecting artist and artistic themes for her recordings. This is evidenced in her more focused recordings that concentrate on a single musical source. In 1997, Vitro released the gutsy Catching Some Rays: The Music of Ray Charles (Telarc, 1997) with the support of frequent collaborator pianst Kenny Werner and tenor saxophonist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vincent.

Vitro followed that recording with Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans (A Records) in 2001, where she is joined by Evans sideman, bassist Eddie Gomez and progeny pianists Fred Hersch and Allen Farnham. Again, Vitro produced a well-focused and executed recording date where she re-cast several Evans instrumentals as vocal offerings. In 2011, Vitro almost scared into a Grammy Award with The Music of Randy Newman (Motema Records), where her musical daring and intelligence showed no bounds.

Vitro returns now with a collection of pieces by the late composer and arranger Clare Fischer, who is best known for his championing of all things Latin Jazz, much of which is well represented on the present Clarity: Music of Clare Fischer Vitro keeps her Randy Newman band intact for the recording.

Vitro attends to both the common and obscure of Fischer's work. The oft-covered "Morning," "Seagull" and "Pensativa" appear alongside the lesser known "Take Your Breath and Sing." Vitro's husband and producer, Paul Wickliffe pens the lyrics for the latter piece. Pianist Mark Soskin looms large on songs like "Pensativa" and "Swingin' with the Duke," while violinist Sara Caswell provides a distant, echoing continuo to all on which she contributes.

Vitro sings squarely from between Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Her scat chops are the most certain of any singer expelling air today. Even a bit of her home-state twang may be detected in the bluesy "Swingin' with the Duke," providing this writer a warm spot in this approaching Autumn. Honor Roseanna Vitro.

Personnel: Roseanna Vitro: vocals and arrangements; Mark Soskin: piano and arrangements; Sara Caswell: violin; Dean Johnson: bass; Tim Horner: drums; Mino Cinelu: percussion; Brett Fischer: vibraphone (9).

Clarity: Music Of Clare Fischer

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