Newcomer vocalist Hanna Richardson teams up with veteran bassist Phil Flanigan and his sextet made up of the top swing players currently on the scene to pay tribute to the great singer Maxine Sullivan. Richardson's vocal style resembles Sullivan's in its straightforward, melodic, and always swinging approach. Flanigan makes particular use of Richardson's natural rhythmic feel as he leads a first-rate ensemble on an entertaining variety of tunes, most of which were associated with Sullivan.
This sextet is a Who's Who of the finest current swing musicians. Flanigan, Flory, and Peplowski all toured with Benny Goodman. Ingham, Flanigan and Flory all toured and recorded with Maxine Sullivan. Flanigan and Flory were founding members of tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton's quintet. Vache is a veteran of the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, and has made many appearances on NPR. Little played on the well known Ellington recording "And His Mother Called Him Bill," featuring music of Billy Strayhorn, and is a New York studio veteran. Richardson was high school friends with Flanigan and Flory, and watched with interest as their careers developed. She started singing jazz 20 years ago, but only recently reunited with her old friends. Everything clicks beautifully, with a rare level of musicianship and rapport.
Hanna Richardson, vocals
Phil Flanigan, bass
Keith Ingham, piano
Chris Flory, guitar
Steve Little, drums
Ken Peplowski, clarinet & tenor sax
Allan Vache, clarinet
"[Hanna] has a natural, easy sense of swing, articulates lyrics clearly and with feeling, and knows how to pick good songs to sing."
--Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz
"Hanna has a rich voice and I think it is this which enables her to generate such a warm sound to her performance. But on top of the warmth, Hanna has total command of the lyrics and the music and an obvious respect for melody...Best of all, she swings and that is the most essential requirement of all! This great combination of fine jazz singing and playing is not to be missed."
--Martin Richards, Jazz Journal International
"I was immediately taken by her easy, graceful way with a lyric...Hanna Richardson is a considerable songstress, with an engagingly sunny style and assured phrasing. She has a light, clear, pure voice and flawless diction. Of its sort, this effort is very nearly perfect."
--John Herr, Cadence Magazine
"Hanna's pitch is surefooted; she has a natural sense of rhythm and she delivers her message with a clarity which really does justice to the tunes...The same gentle, lightly swinging quality that marked Maxine [Sullivan's] style is captured to great effect on these sides."
--Pat Carroll, Jazfax
"Wonderfully balanced, crystal clear and neatly arranged, the music amounts to both a real treat for jazz fans who long for the era before bebop transformed the genre forever and an introduction to the work of singers [Maxine] Sullivan and Richardson."
--Allen Czelusniak, Syracuse New Times
"[Hanna] swings, has a good sense for the timing, has a way with phrasing that keeps one's attention and sings so one understands the lyrics...and all with an extremely pleasant voice."
--Dave Nathan, Allaboutjazz.com
"I depart from my usual practice of 10 votes per choice to award maximum marks to the outstanding debut of Hanna Richardson. Superb jazz singing and playing."
--Martin Richards, Critics' Choice Poll, Jazz Journal International, February 2003
"As a fan of jazz singing (who is disappointed by a lot of it these days) I absolutely loved it....What fantastic singing and playing, stylish, cool, right on. Wow!"
--Fred Allen, American Heritage Magazine
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