HERE’S TO LIFE			LAINIE COOKE
HARLEMWOOD RECORDS		HW 0101
PERSONNEL L.A.

∑ DICK SHREVE			Piano
∑ BOB MAIZE				Bass
∑ PAUL KREIBICH			Drums
∑ PETER WOODFORD		Guitar

PERSONNEL N.Y.

∑ TEDD FIRTH			Piano
∑ CAMERON BROWN		Bass
∑ MATT WILSON			Drums
∑ JOEY MORTANT			Trumpet
∑ DAVID LAHM			Piano


Being a bi-coastal artist for many years it is appropriate that Lainie Cooke’s first ever recording features players from New York and Los Angeles.  Both sets of musicians support Lainie beautifully. Her interpretations of this tasty selection of tunes shows that not only is she concerned with lyrics but, more importantly, melodic and musical structure. From Cameron Brown’s bass support on “The Nearness of You” to the CD title song “Here’s to Life” it is evident that Lainie Cooke is in command of the lyrics and music. It is always a danger when doing familiar standards that what we hear are trite expressions.  Not so here. Laine Cooke makes us hear these tunes newly. We also hear “Bourbon Rain”, an original by Dick Shreve rarely recorded before, delivered as comfortably as any other standard. Lainie’s magic is hearing new avenues of presentation and phrasing. It’s like having Thanksgiving dinner at a friends. The dishes are all familiar but the recipes are different. This big talent in a small package presents her voice powerfully and with confidence. Her choice of musicians on both coasts proves her commitment to Jazz.Very jazzy arrangements!!

It is surprising that this is Lainie’s first recorded material. You would think that in 20 years someone in one of the studios she worked for as a ‘voice’ over artist would have discovered her other vocal abilities. Our only hope is that we hear more from Lainie both on disc and in live performance which she has done both at “The Vic” in Santa Monica, CA and MOCA in the Big Apple. If you want to know what Jazz singing is all about catch Lainie Cooke whenever you can.


The Jazz Connection 0100
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Lainie Cooke’s voice is all about projection. And control. And dynamics. And lyrical insight. And connecting
to her listeners. On Here’s to Life!, Cooke surrounds herself with top-shelf musicians from both coasts who, by the evidence of the music on the CD, had as much fun as she did during the recording process.
“I Just Found out about Love” kicks off the CD inauspiciously, making the listener wonder what’s to
come—a standard piano trio employed merely to back up a singer throughout all twelve tracks, or a lowering-of expectations that contrasts with the eventual conclusion of a song-length build-up. It doesn’t take long to find out that the second option is the one that Cooke chose. For after the first chorus, the song opens up into a solid swing leading into Joey Morant’s blatting and smearing trumpet solo that hints at more delights to come throughout the rest of the recording.
Some of those surprises arise throughout “Don’t Quit Now,” which is reminiscent of Sheila Jordan’s introduction
of her duo with Mark Murphy on “Round About.” And indeed, the lyrics of “Don’t Quit Now” are as narrative
and witty as a song that Jordan would have chosen: “Every kiss I take/Is a piece of cake/And to give me a sample/
Was your first mistake/’Cause I know when a little taste—want more/And now I want the whole darned bakery
store.” But beyond the choice of material, Cooke and Jordan share fearlessness in their singing, swelling notes to
make a point or turning in an instant from soft-sung introversion to bold entreaty. And to point out the similarities even further, “The Nearness of You” features Cooke singing accompanied only by bassist Cameron Brown, who
played on the excellent Sheila Jordan duo CD, Accustomed to the Bass, prodding and dodging and responding in a
sonic interaction.
Here’s to Life is more than a song on Cooke’s CD; it’s its theme. She has wrapped up all of her life’s lessons in her music and has chosen her repertoire accordingly. “With a Song in My Heart” emerges as a light-hearted samba, and even
so, Cooke engagingly finds occasion for increasing volume, excitement creeping into the buoyancy, as she sings “I
would see life through.”
 The continuity of the recording arises from the charms of Cooke’s voice. The musicians fill in the roles of accompanists, tastefully emerging to contribute their own solos that advance the music,such as West Coast pianist Dick Shreve’s tasty development in the middle of his own composition, “Bourbon Rain.
”Here’s to Life is a sleeper CD from a singer whose interpretations of its songs, varied and imaginative, no
doubt will spark interest among its listeners and, with any luck at all, will lead to Lainie Cooke’s second CD.

www.jazzimprov.com
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION—Reviewed in Jazz Improv® Magazine V4N4
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Burning jazz sidemen like pianist Ted Firth and bassist Cameron Brown help make cabaret singer Lainie Cooke live up to her last name. Stylish delivery makes “Bye Bye Blackbird” and the title track of “Here’s To Life.”
                            Read more...
                        

                            
The cd is a fantastic valentine!  A love note to jazz lovers everywhere.  It is a treat to hear such sentiment expressed with such sincerity.
                            Read more...