March/April 2009 issues of the Los Angeles Jazz Scene

Loretta McNair
Intimate Portrait
(LM)

Loretta McNair is a very skilled singer-songwriter who has a beautiful voice and a real knack for writing lyrics that offer fresh viewpoints about love and relationships. She wrote music from the age of 12 and always sang but was really inspired to focus on her music career when her friend Herbie Hancock encouraged her.  She has since appeared in clubs and coffee houses throughout Southern California.
Previously she has recorded a pair of hard-
driving blues-oriented CDs (Loretta McNair And 
Blues Of the World and Deeper Than Indigo) but 
Intimate Portrait is acoustic and the strongest 
representation of her songwriting abilities. With 
backing from a few overlapping combos that 
include her main co-writer Ian Francisco on piano, organ, guitar and strings and often the 
sympathetic saxophone, clarinet and flute playing 
of Dave Burnett, she introduces several 
selections that could catch on as future 
standards. Of these, "The One That Got Away," 
"That's What I'm Here For" (a song that jazz 
singers should check out), the heartbreaking 
"Everybody Lies," "Someone Who'll Stay" and "I 
Don't Need Your Love" are most memorable.
The originals and performances mix together 
aspects of folk, country and pop in addition to 
jazz. It is difficult to categorize as anything but fresh new music by the talented Loretta McNair. Intimate Portrait is available now.
                                      Scott Yanow
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Well, first off, this is a friggin' great album.  You are a great writer and collaborator, and I fall into your voice so you've got the sexy thing down.  Mother Earth.  Smokey.  Hits all the highs and lows emotionally, rich warm, comfortable, atmospheric, great subjects, angles and approaches, quirky and mystery where not expected, humor, earthy, and well executed musically.  The melodies are fresh, memorable, whistleable, gets under your skin and hangs around with you.  I got to the end and started over.  So, in a nutshell, you done good and I wish you all the best on this outing.  I need to pick up the first album now. I'd love to see you if you are out playing live.     FYI-I was most impressed with cdbaby, their immediate response, shipping information and follow up...I stopped to yawn and your CD was sitting in my mail box.  Please let them know.  Keep me in the loop for your activities.  All the best to you,  Buck Wilcox
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