PATRICE WILLIAMSON
Free to Dream (River Lily)
"Boston singer, by way of Memphis, TN, Patrice Williamson has come out with her
second release on her River Lily label. Given the critical acclaim her first
release received, it's surprising and disappointing that it has taken three
years for this one to get on the streets. But such are the vagaries and narrow
vision of the recording industry. Unlike her first CD, My Shining Hour,
she has included three of her own compositions. There's also a heavy reliance
on South of the Border rhythms. Brimming with confidence in her musical
artistry, this singer/flautist puts her special imprimatur on well-known
standards. Listen to an off center, way out version of "Puttin' on the Ritz"
where her voice and flute ride on island-based rhythms. This is not the way
Fred Astaire did it. It's got a mix of sass with a touch of regret that not
everyone has the means to take in the Ritz. And it's "ole" we go with the
Brazilian beat on "Alone Together". Understand, what Williamson is doing is by
no means colored by affectation, These are legitimate representations of well
known music infused with freshness and the output of a smokey, dusky set of
vocal pipes, hitting the pitch mark with each note. She also engages in
exciting wordless vocalizing, riding astride Kera Washington's bongos. This
track, as others, features the talents of her very fine band, especially Jason
Hunter's biting, striving tenor. All of this is to have "Alone Together" raise
you a few inches off your chair. But there's a softness to her singing as well.
Singing the verse with just Eric Byers guitar in tow, Williamson's version of
"With a Song in My Heart" avoids the dramatics of most versions of this tune.
Instead she presents it as a soft paean to the love and admiration of the
subject of the song. The melding of Byers's guitar and the piano of Mark
Shilansky's piano is one of the album's finer moments.
The CD is loaded with many other goodies as well, e.g., "My Love Is", and
offers a very generous 77 minutes of first class jazz music, both vocal and
instrumental. Recommended. Patrice's Internet home is at www.riverlily.com."
–Dave Nathan
AllAboutJazz.com
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