LUCIENNE RENAUDIN VARY - Madamoiselle In New York
Warner Classics 0190295407100
Lucienne Renaudin Vary (t, v, whistling); BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Bill Elliott
The record label above gives the clue; this is not really a jazz record but rather a hybrid. Ms Vary plays smooth classical trumpet on most of these selections and receives strong support from the BBC Concert Orchestra. She is not in New York either but recording in London, however I think the title refers to the fact that she is playing mostly American music, George and Ira Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Bobby Hebb. Bobby Hebb? Well, he wrote Sunny the last selection on this CD. To be fair there are a few attempts at jazz: a selection by Sidney Bechet and on I Loves You Porgy Lucienne attempts some jazz phrasing and plays melancholy jazz inflected trumpet. Best of all is Gershwin’s They All Laughed where she does phrase in a jazz manner and even improvises on the melody. On two tracks she sings and on one, she whistles!
The rest though is classical trumpet where her playing is clean, strong and in more or less European style and a similar accompaniment is provided by the BBC Concert Orchestra. If they had intended to make a jazz record, and I’m not convinced that they did, the BBC Big Band with their strong jazz credentials would have been a better choice. Make no mistake though, this is great music by Gershwin, Ravel, Milhaud and others and gloriously played. Just depends what you like and what you are looking for.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
Warner Classics 0190295407100
Lucienne Renaudin Vary (t, v, whistling); BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Bill Elliott
The record label above gives the clue; this is not really a jazz record but rather a hybrid. Ms Vary plays smooth classical trumpet on most of these selections and receives strong support from the BBC Concert Orchestra. She is not in New York either but recording in London, however I think the title refers to the fact that she is playing mostly American music, George and Ira Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Bobby Hebb. Bobby Hebb? Well, he wrote Sunny the last selection on this CD. To be fair there are a few attempts at jazz: a selection by Sidney Bechet and on I Loves You Porgy Lucienne attempts some jazz phrasing and plays melancholy jazz inflected trumpet. Best of all is Gershwin’s They All Laughed where she does phrase in a jazz manner and even improvises on the melody. On two tracks she sings and on one, she whistles!
The rest though is classical trumpet where her playing is clean, strong and in more or less European style and a similar accompaniment is provided by the BBC Concert Orchestra. If they had intended to make a jazz record, and I’m not convinced that they did, the BBC Big Band with their strong jazz credentials would have been a better choice. Make no mistake though, this is great music by Gershwin, Ravel, Milhaud and others and gloriously played. Just depends what you like and what you are looking for.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
