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"Of all the newcomers profiled in this column, Patrice Williamson is the most pleasant surprise. On her CD My Shining Hour, she demonstrates the difference between truly being a jazz singer, as opposed to a singer who sings jazz tunes. She brings a bit more breadth to her interpretations of the melodies, then dives fearlessly into her improvized solos. The repertoire is a bit more far-reaching than those often presented on vocalists' recordings: Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" is presented in a mid-tempo jazz context with Latin colorings. And in addition to some standard Gershwin, Berlin, Mercer, and Arlen choices, she tackles Tad Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now" and Bud Powell's "Wail" with aplomb. This is the real thing." –Dave Hughes |
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