SINGER'S SINGERS
ELLI FORDYCE: SONGS SPUN OF GOLD
http://www.ellifordyce.net
There are many surprises awaiting you on this remarkable 19-song treasure. When was the last time you heard the ditty "Oops!" (Warren/Mercer) from Astaire's timeless film? Well prepare yourself here for a loose fun filled duet with Jim Malloy. It's a toe-tapping finger snapping delight. Even though "The Belle of New York" was released in 1952 it sounds so modern here. Credit Max Pollack, tap dancer extraordinaire, for his solo as well. The special deluxe version of "Let's Get Lost" (McHugh/Loesser) continues its rhythmic beat throughout. It has a grand swinging scat midway. Elli is in full control on the enchantingly popular ballad "Softly As I Leave You" (Shaper/DaVita/Calabrese). Her almost spoken rendition mesmerizes. "Where Am I Going" (Coleman/Fields) from "Sweet Charity" is revived glowingly. "I'll Remember April" (DePaul/Raye/Johnston) remarkably swings things along.
-- Dan Singer, IN TUNE INTERNATIONAL, No. 218
JAZZ CD REVIEWS YOU CAN USE – Vol. 2, March 13, 2010, CURT'S JAZZ CAFE
Let’s face it; it’s hard to not be impressed with Elli Fordyce. At 72, most artists consider themselves to be in the winter of their careers, content to reflect. If they are performing at all, those performances will usually take on the air of a well-earned valedictory. Instead, Ms. Fordyce and her career are in the midst of a life affirming springtime. Two years ago, she released her first CD, Something Still Cool, to very positive response from jazz fans and press. Now, she has returned with her second release, Songs Spun of Gold.
Born in Manhattan, Elli started singing with a jazz trio at 18. She took many breaks from singing over the years, for reasons that ranged from raising a family, to a serious car accident. Finally, a few years ago, Elli returned to singing regularly, inspired by her Yorkie pup, Dindi (yes, after the Jobim song). She then joined Lina Koutrakos’s Cabaret workshop and came under the tutelage of famed pianist, Barry Harris. Then came Something Still Cool, which proved that after all those years away, Elli had not lost her sense of swing and her expressiveness with a lyric. Songs Spun of Gold is cut from the same cloth as its fine predecessor, filled with 17 selections, most of them familiar to jazz audiences and all but two clocking in, in a swinging three and a half minutes, or less.
Ms. Fordyce’s group on Songs Spun of Gold, is comprised of musicians with solid credits, if not instantly recognizable names. Guitarist Ed MacEachen has logged time in the working bands of Jack McDuff, Chico Hamilton and Ernestine Anderson. Bassist Neal Miner has worked with numerous singers, such as Annie Ross, Bill Henderson and Dena DeRose; in addition to his work as a leader. Jeremy Manasia, a fine young pianist, has worked with Peter Bernstein, Dianne Schuur and Jimmy Cobb.
Though both Something Still Cool and Songs Spun of Gold are fine discs, I give Songs the nod, mostly due to the change in Ms. Fordyce’s vocals. Though she sang quite well on the first disc, she exudes an increased confidence this time, which comes from having traveled this road before. There are many fine tracks here: “Let’s Get Lost”, which swings jauntily atop Elli’s scatting and the counterpoint of MacEachen’s guitar. “Desafinado” has been done more times than I would care to count, but Elli’s coquettish vocal, underpinned by Aaron Heick’s delightful flute, breathes some new life into this bossa nova warhorse. The medley of “A Child is Born” and “Waltz for Debby”, is especially moving as Elli makes it personal, melding the songs together to remind us parents how quickly time can pass. A finger-snapping version of “Pick Yourself Up” shows the singer at her most winning, with an inspiring vocal and a couple of jazz cum Bach, scat choruses. Manasia’s grooving piano solo also elevates the proceedings. “Oops”, the Warren/Mercer composition, made famous by Ella and Louis’s indelible version, but heard very rarely today, is perhaps the best track here, as it becomes a charming piece of aural theater. Jim Malloy, a very fine singer, who made several appearances on Elli’s first disc, joins her again. These two old friends have superb chemistry and it shows, as they toss off little asides and Mr. Malloy even breaks into an impromptu “Satchmo” impersonation on one verse, to Ms. Fordyce’s sheer delight. On top of that, we have tap dancer Max Pollak, who organically melds his foot percussion into the song with facility that I haven’t heard on record since Astaire. Together with MacEachen’s John Collins influenced guitar, they are a powerful support team that almost manages to steal the track from the two singers, which is an impressive feat.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s oft repeated and rather pessimistic quotation, informs us that “there are no second acts in American lives”. With all due respect, I’ve seen Mr. Fitzgerald be proven wrong many times over the years, most recently by the life-affirming example of Elli Fordyce. Her Songs Spun of Gold, is a wonderful album, filled with the joy of a performer who, after making many stops along the way has finally come home. This septuagenarian can best be described in the title of a song that does not appear on this album: “The Best is Yet to Come”.
-- Curtis Davenport, http://curtjazz.wordpress.com/
