Teri Roiger - Ghost of Yesterday: Shades of Lady Day

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:41
Size: 133,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. Lady Day and John Coltrane
(3:41)  2. (I Don't Stand A) Ghost of a Chance
(3:50)  3. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
(7:49)  4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:46)  5. Fine and Mellow
(3:26)  6. Them There Eyes
(5:15)  7. It's Easy to Remember
(5:10)  8. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
(4:48)  9. Lady Day
(5:22) 10. Ghost of Yesterday
(5:18) 11. These Foolish Things
(2:48) 12. Lady Sings the Blues

Since Billie Holiday was a major influence on Abbey Lincoln, it’s entirely apt that vocalist Teri Roiger, who owes a considerable debt to both, follows her 2012 tribute to Lincoln a fine, thoughtful appreciation with an equally imaginative salute to Holiday. Roiger opens with a less funky but no less stirring take on Gil Scott-Heron’s “Lady Day and John Coltrane.” Later, she offers up her own paean, “Lady Day,” based on music contributed to Roiger by the late David “Fathead” Newman, dotted with Holiday touchstones, including references to Lester Young and “Don’t Explain.” Both Young and Holiday recorded “(I Don’t Stand) A Ghost of a Chance With You,” though not together. Roiger introduces her version by adding sage lyrics to Young’s solo, with Jay Collins accompanying on tenor saxophone. Young’s solo on “Fine and Mellow,” recorded with Holiday, is lyrically retraced with equal aplomb, here with support from trombonist Roswell Rudd. And she adds an interesting twist to “Them There Eyes,” inserting Ella Fitzgerald’s scat solo, again fitted with new lyrics. Roiger bypasses Holiday’s sturdiest signatures “Strange Fruit,” “God Bless the Child,” “Good Morning, Heartache,” “Lover Man” filling the balance of the album with selections from across her sizeable songbook. Traveling from a wistfully tender “It’s Easy to Remember” to a laidback “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans,” she closes with a dusky reading of Holiday’s late-career masterpiece, “Lady Sings the Blues.” https://jazztimes.com/reviews/vox/teri-roiger-lady-day/

The Band: The new recording features Wayne Hawkins (piano), John Menegon (bass), Steve Williams (drums) + The Visitors: Roswell Rudd (trombone), Jay Collins (baritone and tenor sax), Steve Gorn (clarinet & bansuri flute), Rebecca Coupe-Franks (trumpet), Mark Dziuba (guitar) & Abdou Mboup (percussion).

Ghost of Yesterday: Shades of Lady Day

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Teri Roiger - Still Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:12
Size: 119,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. So It Always Happens
(7:58)  2. Still Life
(4:54)  3. Boo Dah
(5:16)  4. Joie De Vivre
(4:04)  5. Maybe
(4:57)  6. I Just Got Back In Town
(4:23)  7. Dewey's Tune
(5:54)  8. That Old Devil Called Love
(5:08)  9. Twilight Delight (With John Menegon)
(5:02) 10. Straight, No Chaser

It is difficult not to be impressed by Teri Roiger's Still Life. Roiger has a small voice but, like Sheila Jordan, she knows exactly what to do with it and is constantly stretching herself. Her repertoire is quite fascinating, starting off with a Herbie Nichols song, including Billy Strayhorn's lesser-known "Maybe," and featuring two songs (including "Joie de Vivre," which is heard twice) for which she wrote lyrics to Dewey Redman's music in addition to two numbers of her own. "I Just Got Back in Town" has her singing Eddie Jefferson's words to James Moody's improvisation on "I Cover the Waterfront," and she also fares well on the only standards of the set, "That Old Devil Called Love" and "Straight, No Chaser." Of the supporting cast, accordionist Gil Goldstein is a strong asset during his four appearances, pianist Frank Kimbrough leads a fine rhythm section, and bassist John Menegan shares the vocal with Roiger on his "Twilight Delight." There is not a slow moment on this well-conceived outing, which is easily recommended. 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/still-life-mw0000489105

Still Life

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