Album Notes

This Year’s Kisses marks the introduction of vocalist Danielle Reich. She is warm and inviting, completely unaffected and organic; Reich delivers the lyric with copious confidence that immediately makes you forget this is her debut CD. Produced by trumpeter extraordinaire Carol Morgan, This Year’s Kisses features lush arrangements and a stellar line up. Morgan clearly understands the qualities of Reich’s voice and as her producer, she has done a wonderful job of creating a creative and supportive ensemble that lends itself to an outstanding debut.

Reich has an innocent quality to her voice which shines through on ballads and slow-midtempo’s such as; ”If I Loved You,” “How Long Has This Been Going On,” “Along Together,” “Crazy He Calls Me” and “At Seventeen.” Her phrasing has an almost Billie Holiday overtone which lends itself to her intimate style.

Cuts like “Sabor A Mi” sung in Spanish, and “Ne Me Quitte Pas” sung in French highlight Danielle’s instinctive ability to easily convey in 3 languages. Messages of love, joy, anguish and innocence all masterfully conveyed by a supremely talented players; Carol Morgan (trumpet), her tone and phrasing are unmatched, Andrew Lienhard on piano glides across the ivories with rich harmonies and supportive chords, Seth Paynter on tenor sax has a round and inviting tone that creates the right amount of texture on each track, David Craig on bass glues the ensemble together with on target intonation and perfectly placed colors, complimented by drummer Daleton Lee the rhythm section carries each track through tender brushes to unabashed swinging delights. All in all, what a delightful debut offering, one that leaves the listener in a great position of discovering a new talent worth the listen.