One of Southern California's more active jazz singers, Karen Gallinger makes her recording debut with a live performance at the famous jazz watering hole, the Jazz Bakery. The "active" as it applies to Gallinger means not only the number of gigs she plays, but the way she prances on this album. Upbeat, loose, and definitely hip, Gallinger shines as she delivers a play list of ten tunes, mostly familiar standards she infects with a large dose of freshness. The centerpiece is a seven-minute romping of "The Song Is You." Not only does Gallinger take this tune on a hair-raising vocal roller coaster ride, it's also one of the frequent occasions where the fine rhythm section of Jack Reidling, Tom Warrington, and Joe LaBarbera are given the freedom to express themselves. Their playing is important to making this CD as attractive as it is. While the temperature cools down on such tunes as "Estaté," Gallinger's husky, smoky voice still pulsates, here adding a touch of sensuality to help capture the picture of sultry summer this tune creates. Most of the time, Gallinger and her cohorts are moving along at a speedy pace. Gallinger manages to sing up-tempo while keeping her precise diction intact, no slurring of words here. It's also here and elsewhere that Gallinger makes apparent she is well-versed in the importance of selectively using her scatting skills to make a musical point without drowning the tune. The most emotional moment on the session is a poignant rendition of "Lost in the Stars," where Gallinger uses the full force of her vocal skills for her emotional reading, which she dedicates to a friend in need. This album is an excellent first effort by a very talented vocalist.
© Dave Nathan /TiVo