Album Notes

Sensuous, enticing, and alluring can describe jazz vocalist Colleen McNabb’s debut album, “Don’t go to strangers” She takes you on a whirlwind journey of love and intimacy beginning with the title cut, which according to her is one of her favorites and is in tribute to the late Etta Jones. This album has a great amount of texture because she not only uses the traditional piano trio but also organ trio-which is not so common for a vocal album. “Don’t go to strangers” is a great treat because the overall caliber of musicianship represented is remarkable. Colleen has a clear voice with a very clean and concise delivery of the lyrics, which is important for any collection of standards. Her silky smooth understated approach will have you “In the mood for Love”

But beyond McNabb being a great vocalist, there is a line up of impressive guests starting with Grammy Nominated and five time Downbeat Critics and Readers poll winner Joey DeFrancesco. He is featured on the album with his trio-including Canadian National Jazz and JUNO award winner Jake Langley and Philadelphia drummer Bryon “Wookie” Landham. The traditional piano trio is also represented with DeFrancesco on piano Tony Banda on bass and Ramon Banda on drums. The Banda Brothers are Los Angeles based and were key players for Grammy Winner, Poncho Sanchez. A real treat too is “Meditation” in which Steve Gadd (the most in demand and influential drummer, recorded with everybody from Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney to James Taylor) lays it down and Joey DeFrancesco plays a style of retro Latin piano and the vocals float perfectly on top. Intermitted are two duo cuts with Chicago based jazz pianist, Tommy Muellner. The two duo cuts, Johnny Mandel’s “Close Enough for Love” and Bill Evans “We will Meet Again” have a great deal of space and rawness, in which you can enjoy her voice and phrasing and clearly note that Muellner’s playing was greatly influenced by pianist Bill Evans. A somber seductive “For All We Know” ends the album with jazz legends Buddy Montgomery (Wes and Monk Montgomery’s younger brother) on piano, and Joe Chambers (composer and player with Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, and Max Roach) on drums.
Though a farm girl from rural Indiana, Colleen’s musical stylings have been compared to Carmen McCrae and Shirley Horn. Colleen moved from Indiana to Chicago and while there she studied with Blue Note recording artists Jackie Allen and Patricia Barber. In Chicago she performed several years before being offered to tour as the vocalist with the Joey DeFrancesco Trio. Since then, Colleen McNabb has toured nationally and internationally and performed with renowned jazz artists such as Buster Williams, George Benson, George Coleman, David “Fathead” Newman, George Cables, Jerry Weldon, Ron Blake of Saturday Night Live, and guitarist, Paul Bollenbach.
“Don’t Go to Strangers” is a great compilation of not only great songs, but a representation of some of the best jazz artists in the world. We look forward to her next release.



"Colleen McNabb's vocal style mixes sultry tones with lyric delight. Hers is a voice that reveals maturity beyond her years"
-Pete Fallico, KCSM San Mateo.
“Colleen McNabb is a very talented young jazz singer…”
-George Coleman.