Some Other Time

by Amandah Jantzen

Overview

This is one of those recordings that falls into the "good, but..." category. Amandah Jantzen is a good singer with a very pleasing voice and more than ordinary interpretative skills. However, she has to work hard in overcoming routine arrangements, a supporting cast of musicians who need instruction in the art of supporting a vocalist, and problems with the technical production of the CD. On cuts like "Beautiful Love," Jantzen has to struggle to be heard over the piano, which seems to be closer to the mike than she is -- a problem of mixing or mike placement. Then there's Craig Scott who is a graduate of the Elvin Jones school of drumming. He sees himself as an active participant, rather than just providing the rhythmic underpinning for the session. That's fine for an instrumental outing, but for a vocal set, it is a distraction. Obstacles notwithstanding, Jantzen works hard to overcome the annoyances by delivering some nice stuff. All the bases are touched with respect to styles. There's a bit of the blues, some uptempo numbers, and silky deliveries of sultry ballads. "Too Late Now" gets a solid performance with some nice tenor sax work by Al Wold. Jantzen and Wold's Zoot Sims-like playing also work well together on "The Song Is You." "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" showcases the melodic, muted trumpet of Derry Byrne. On one of the very fine tracks, "Sophisticated Lady," Jantzen sings the verse to Ron Thompson's guitar whose playing is reminiscent of the great Johnny Smith. Wold's tenor comes in for the refrain to complement Jantzen's understated delivery of the Duke Ellington classic. "I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues" reveals Jantzen's affinity for that genre, with a rip-roaring, down-and-dirty delivery, and Chris Sigerson's saloon-type piano stands out. The highlight of the album, however, is a very poignant "Some Other Time" with Jantzen's voice showing the resignation and emotional shrugging of the shoulders that comes with the end of a love affair. By the way, the title of this album Some Other Time doesn't mean "later"; rather, it refers to the period when the songs on the play list were written, between 1929 and 1952. Hopefully, Jantzen's next album will be absent the technical and accompaniment problems which detract from fully enjoying her pleasant way with a song. ~ Dave Nathan

Product Details

Release Date:	04/06/2004
Label:	LOCAL
UPC:	0737885310022

Tracks

1. Beautiful Love
2. Too Late Now
3. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You
4. Whisper Not
5. Sophisticated Lady
6. Mean to Me
7. Since I Fell For You
8. The Song Is You
9. I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues
10. Some Other Time

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Amandah Jantzen   Primary Artist,Vocals
Al Wold   Sax (Tenor)
Craig Scott   Drums

Technical Credits

Craig Scott   Arranger
Andy Razaf   Composer
Betty Comden   Composer
Irving Mills   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Alan Jay Lerner   Composer
Egbert VanAlstyne   Composer
Don George   Composer
Leonard Feather   Composer
W. Johnson   Composer
Leonard Bernstein   Composer
Rick Kilburn   Mixing
Roy Turk   Composer
Mitchell Parish   Composer
Adolph Green   Composer
Haven Gillespie   Composer
Fred E. Ahlert   Composer
Don Redman   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Wayne King   Composer
Amandah Jantzen   Arranger
Victor Young   Composer
Joe Davis   Graphic Design
Burton Lane   Composer
Jerome Kern   Composer