Elaine Delmar: Speak Low (Ubuntu Music UBU0165)
Until she died, in January 2018, I had no problem thinking of Marlene VerPlanck as the finest female vocalist currently working the jazz, pop and cabaret circuit. As it happened, I didn’t have far to look for someone to fill her shoes, and the name on the tin is Elaine Delmar. I’ve seen her live several times and given each gig a money review in these very pages. I’m a great admirer of Ms Delmar and I’ll fight anyone who gives her a pan.
Elaine Delmar is aided and abetted by a strong cast – Barry Green, Jim Mullen and Simon Thorpe, with a guest showing on the title track for Andy Panayi. This is around 40 minutes’ worth of filet mignon and Piper Heidsieck rendered in musical form. Standout tracks are Let Me Love You, Close Your Eyes, and, for an encore, Irving Caesar’s verse for Tea For Two, loaded with internal rhymes. Don’t walk, run to your nearest record store.
Karen Mack: Catch & Keep (KmackMusic KMM2401)
Karen Mack is an eclectic, silky-voiced American singer and here, on her debut album, she offers sterling mainstream to modern performances of standards and originals, touching on swing, Latin and ballad. She’s assisted by a strong crew: Peter Eldridge, of the NY Voices group, plays piano and organ and provided charts on 11 tracks; Jesse Lewis plays guitars, Matt Aronoff upright bass, Jared Schonig drums and percussion, Ben Wittman percussion, Darmon Meader saxes, Nadje Noordhuis trumpet and flugelhorn. Elliot Roth did the chart, played piano and sang on one track. It’s an enjoyable and varied album that should appeal to those of broad taste in jazz and beyond.