When it comes to female jazz legends, we have certainly have had enough tribute albums to Ella, Billie, Sarah and Dinah – so it’s particularly refreshing that veteran jazz singer Diane Marino chose a well-known but slightly less iconic jazz great to focus her immense talents on.
Marino, who has been performing jazz around the country for several decades and has recorded six albums, was introduced to Gloria Lynne’s catalog by Lynne’s longtime drummer, Vince Ector. The singer’s deep research into Lynne’s incredible 50 year career has resulted in a dizzyingly eclectic 14 track set of songs largely penned by Great American Songbook legends – but whose relative obscurity makes them all seem delightfully fresh, new and contemporary.
Stylistically, Marino romps between traditional jazz, swing, edgy blues and sensual soul, with moments of intense barn burning tempered by hushed intimacy. The magic here takes flight on the stellar arrangements and lush orchestrations of Brad Cole, who also plays piano, keyboards and B-3 organ.