JOHN PROULX - Say It
ASO 159
John Proulx (v); Larry Koonse (elg); Chuck Berghofer (b); Joe LaBarbera (d); Bob Sheppard (ts); Billy Hulting (pc); Melissa Manchester (v) 2018
Proulx began life as a jazz pianist and like the late, great Nat King Cole before him, began singing at gigs. It wasn’t long before he was being asked to sing more and more and like Cole, became a singer who played piano rather than a pianist who sang. He sings and scats confidently through Gentle Rain, the voice low key and laid back. Of course if you are making a vocal jazz record it helps considerably to have people like sax man Sheppard and guitarist Larry Koonse behind you, providing support and adding solo segments of their own. La Barbera is a steady drummer and he completes a fine rhythm section. A gentle and very smooth croon on The Summer Knows makes this a standout track. Strings are added on some tracks although I’m not sure that is such a good idea as the music becomes rather cloying. Nothing wrong with Alan Broadbent’s string arrangements but maybe not ideal for this sort of recital.
Watch What Happens suits Proulx very well; his quiet, lyrical voice floating over the top of the Bossa rhythms and his own tasty piano solo. Berghofer gets in a tidy bass solo on this track. Koonse opens Say It with a warm guitar solo and the vocalist sails through it brightly enough. Frank Loesser’s melody is a good one as John Coltrane discovered when he included it on his Ballads recital way back when. The leader’s strong piano solo here is also worthy of note. Stained Glass is a duet which the singer shares with guest vocalist Melissa Manchester. Overall this is a quiet, unhurried recital with few surprises and not too many highs or indeed lows but a good indication of what Proulx is capable of both as pianist and vocalist.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
ASO 159
John Proulx (v); Larry Koonse (elg); Chuck Berghofer (b); Joe LaBarbera (d); Bob Sheppard (ts); Billy Hulting (pc); Melissa Manchester (v) 2018
Proulx began life as a jazz pianist and like the late, great Nat King Cole before him, began singing at gigs. It wasn’t long before he was being asked to sing more and more and like Cole, became a singer who played piano rather than a pianist who sang. He sings and scats confidently through Gentle Rain, the voice low key and laid back. Of course if you are making a vocal jazz record it helps considerably to have people like sax man Sheppard and guitarist Larry Koonse behind you, providing support and adding solo segments of their own. La Barbera is a steady drummer and he completes a fine rhythm section. A gentle and very smooth croon on The Summer Knows makes this a standout track. Strings are added on some tracks although I’m not sure that is such a good idea as the music becomes rather cloying. Nothing wrong with Alan Broadbent’s string arrangements but maybe not ideal for this sort of recital.
Watch What Happens suits Proulx very well; his quiet, lyrical voice floating over the top of the Bossa rhythms and his own tasty piano solo. Berghofer gets in a tidy bass solo on this track. Koonse opens Say It with a warm guitar solo and the vocalist sails through it brightly enough. Frank Loesser’s melody is a good one as John Coltrane discovered when he included it on his Ballads recital way back when. The leader’s strong piano solo here is also worthy of note. Stained Glass is a duet which the singer shares with guest vocalist Melissa Manchester. Overall this is a quiet, unhurried recital with few surprises and not too many highs or indeed lows but a good indication of what Proulx is capable of both as pianist and vocalist.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
