"Jersey Jazz" WMA Review

With Joe Lang's kind permission, SloaneView takes pride in reprinting his review of "We'll Meet Again" which appeared in "Jersey Jazz, Journal of The New Jersey Jazz Society". Many thanks, Joe. Glad you like it!

"Anytime that CAROL SLOANE brings out a new album, it is like a special gift for all those who love good singing. On "We'll Meet Again" (Arbors - 19400), Sloane is joined by Ken Peplowski on clarinet and tenor sax, Howard Alden and Bucky Pizzarelli on guitars, Aaron Weinstein on violin, and Steve LaSpina on base for a 13-song program that provides one delight after another. Sloane makes an art form out of understatement. She is a knowing reader of lyrics who uses her subtle artistry to bring out the full impact of each word.

Sloane is a wonderful ballad singer, but is also masterful at swinging without hitting you over the head. This latter aspect of her style is apparent right out of the box as she opens with "Exactly Like You," with Weinstein and Peplowski doing some nice urging. When I heard her singing "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere," I immediately thought of Lee Wiley who was a co-writer of the tune, as Wiley had a similar understated style that just drew you in as you listened to her.

"Cottage for Sale" is a great song that tells a sad tale that Sloane relates in an appropriately melancholy manner. Few tunes capture the essence of what a jazzman is better than "Zoot Walks In," Dave Frishberg's lyrics having been added to a jazz classic penned by Zoot Sims and Gerry Mulligan, "The Red Door."

There are several selections that are truly obscure, but after hearing Sloane sing them, you will wonder why they have remained so to this time. Among them are "I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do," "If You Could Love Me," "The Meaning of the Blues," and "I Never Loved Anyone." After playing this disc several times, you simply cannot play it just once, I stood up and said out loud "Hooray for Carol Sloane!"