Lies of Handsome Men
© Copyright-Glennis Houston
(623667209434)
Record Label: Glennis Houston
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Calgary Jazz singer Glennis Houston grew up listening to jazz and swing as her parents taught ballroom dancing, so she spent many nights listening to the laughter and music emanating from the basement dancing studio. She was always involved in music, in fact, with piano lessons in her childhood and teens, and then studying classical voice culminating with a Masters of Music from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She eventually realized, though, that after throwing her heart and soul into studying classical, her passion lay elsewhere. Thus, her move into jazz, with one of her first forays being the forming of an a cappella women's quartet concentrating on the jazz and swing genres. That group has since disbanded as she pursues work as a jazz vocalist. Glennis has studied with Calgary's Viviane Cardinal and Cheryl Fisher, and has attended the Vocal Jazz camp at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts, where she studied with Jay Clayton and Sheila Jordan. There, she also had the pleasure of working with musicians Randy Halberstadt, Dave Restivo, Mike Lent, and Owen Howard.
Glennis also has a deep love of theatre so upon her move back to Calgary from Colorado in 1995, became involved with Morpheus Theatre as music director for Gilbert & Sullivan shows "The Mikado" and "Pirates of Penzance," Front Row Centre with "Fiddler on the Roof," and Storybook Theatre with their production of "Snoopy." Never one to stay behind the scenes, though, she also pursued theatre work on stage with roles in Storybook's "Charlotte's Web," Gas & Light's "See How They Run" and "Holiday Snap," as well as with Chimaera Productions "Steel Magnolias." She continues to be cast in Pegasus Performances murder mystery/dinner theatre productions throughout Alberta.
Glennis has appeared at the (former) Cheshire Cat for Jazz Festival 2000, the Lunchbox Theatre for Jazz Festival 2001, the Beat Niq Jazz & Social Club, Blackfoot Inn, Michaelangelo's Workshop Café, Kaos Jazz & Blues Club, the Blue Rock, McQueen's, Diva's Lounge at the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, Murrietta's in Canmore, and various other venues. Her debut CD, "Lies of Handsome Men," was recorded in July 2003, and was released to a capacity crowd at BeatNiq on January 30th, 2004. She is scheduled to perform with her band at the C-Jazz Festival in September 2004, after which time she moves on to Edmonton for her debut appearance at Zenari's.
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...more than just a jazz vocal album ...
author: Paul Donnelly
Tagged as a jazz vocal cd this contains a number of songs that have been covered a multitude of times but mostly remain listenable and fresh. And it is more than just a jazz vocal album since it features not only Houston’s voice interpreting the songs but some very fine playing from, among others, Michael Creber on piano and Miles Hill on acoustic/electric bass.
But back to the songs. I never could stand ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ but it’s here and I’ll just say I still hate it though it has nothing to do with Houston’s voice because when she tackles the Ellington/Gaines ‘Just Squeeze Me’ she breathes a sensuality into it and makes sure that the words mean something. Then she brings the same lyrical sensitivity to a song I don’t know, ‘Sunday Kind Of Love’, where she’s supported in just the right measure by piano and, believe it or not, harmonica. The bluesy, relaxed mood suits her voice and she can hold those notes with an intense yearning that I find entirely pleasurable. Among my favourite songs of all time is ‘God Bless The Child’ and I wish she hadn’t taken it at such a pace. I know it’s hard to do something else with it when Billie Holliday has probably done the definitive version – unless you count Eric Dolphy’s breath-taking solo outing on it, that is – but I think Houston’s vocal approach to slower tunes would have worked well here. Still, maybe on another cd sometime.
On the other hand the rolling tempo of ‘Cow Cow Boogie’ sounds exactly right and she carries it off with no problem, once more accompanied with panache by Creber’s piano. She even enlivens the much-covered ‘Summertime’ making it sound breezy and warm, partly due to her vocal approach but also thanks to the light, airy flute contributed by John Reid.Back in a more relaxed mode the title song features her breathy intonations that foreground the somewhat bitter-sweet lyrics while the hushed restraint of Craig Scott’s brushwork sympathetically underscores both her voice and some more of that perfectly timed piano. Her own co-written tune ‘Someone Like You’ further highlights her ability to deliver a slower, more contemplative song.
This debut contains a great deal of promise that will no doubt be fulfilled on future work where she will, hopefully, develop the slower, more reflective side of her work which is, for me, the most satisfying and successful.
-- Paul Donnelly
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8 out of 10
author: Jazzreview.com
Lies of Handsome Men sounds like an interesting enough title to look into. So what exactly is behind such a thought provoking statement? The first thing that comes to mind is the opportunity to engage in plenty of extra curricular activities for an attractive individual of the male gender. Glennis Houston sings a lot about men and the disappointment that she has experienced. While they are plentiful and available there does not seem to be too many worth holding onto.
Now let us talk about the music and the wonderful voice of Ms. Houston, which is the focus here. She is a marvelously talented vocalist with great tone, focus, and range. The harnessing of her talents allows her to swing (Just Squeeze Me), sing a sexy alluring love song (I Want a Sunday Kind of Love), have some rollicking fun while swinging the night away with a country like flair (Cow Cow Boogie), or be humorous and lighthearted (Twisted) while using her voice to create the necessary atmosphere.
She most certainly has the musical support behind her so she can perform at such a high level of consistency. Michael Creber (piano), Miles Hill (bass), and Craig Scott (drums) are a most capable ensemble. Most notably, I found the piano playing very enjoyable throughout the entire CD. The rich textures and colors of the jazz genre ebb and flow like the sea at high tide on this session. The bass (you can tell it’s a standup with its low bottom end sound) and drums are complimentary in every aspect of each track, for both the piano playing and the voice of Glennis. All around this is an excellent release with a solid group of compositions that hold up very well after repeated listens.
With a voice like this, who needs handsome men and their lies? Glennis Houston doesn’t.
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