Customer Reviews

Live at Jazz Standard 2

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With her first song, "The Ruby and The Pearl," singer and pianist Dena Derose warns us that this recording will have gems scattered throughout. And she wasn't kidding. Volume 2 of Live At Jazz Standard is a strong collection of torch songs that glow and uptempo numbers that jump through the roof. Martin Wind on bass and Mark Wilson on drums complete the trio. Other vocals in her mellow tone include "I Can't Escape From You" and "We'll Be Together Again." One more in that category, "I Fall In Love Too Easily" is just a superb duet with Dena's singing accompanied by Wind on bass. Listening to this pair, you will swear there are just the three of you in the room. These numbers illustrate the sexiness and sophistication that is Dena Derose.

For those of you who might regard Dena's selections as being too thin, bend your ear to tunes like "Detour Ahead" and "Laughing At Life," where her distinctive swinging bounces across the keyboard while her voice matches the intensity and emotion. Great piano solos dominate "In Your Own Sweet Way" and cause you to reach for the liner notes to double check that Bill Charlap didn't join the group.

Somehow, some way, Derose makes it all a pleasure listening to the sweetness of these arrangements and making us hope we'll be together again.

Dena has a pleasant enough voice & she does have significant "chops"
on piano.The problem with this recording as I see it & hear it is the drummer Matt Wilson. Before getting into Wilson's role on this album I'll mention the recordings positives. "The Ruby & The Pearl" along with "We'll Be Together Again" are the highlights for me. To a lesser
degree are "Sweet Way", "I Can't Escape" & "I Fall In Love To Easily".
The latter is taken at a snails pace but it's done well especially with Wilson out of the mix & could grow on me.

Chet (Baker) toward the end of his career shied away from working with drummers. He said they made "too much noise".I would invite Mr Wilson to listen to veteran drummer Larance Marable on Eden Atwood's
fine recording "This Is Always". Better yet pick up Don Friedman's
5 star album "My Favorite Things" & listen to what classy drumming is all about as performed by Lewis Nash.

The reader needs to take into consideration my bias. I don't like loud drummers & I'm not big on drum solos. I kept thinking how much better this album would have been if Dena worked with just Martin Wind or perhaps added a guitar player.At times her piano playing was heavy handed.When she amped up so did Wilson & his "banging" was intrusive thus taking away from Dena's piano work. "Detour Ahead" is a piece that I normally like. About 5 minutes into the tune all I could hear was loud noise & I just couldn't listen any more (2nd time around).Even on "Sweet Way" which for the most part was quite good, toward the end of the tune Wilson is too loud. The album length is
62.25 & I didn't care for 29.25 of the recording which represents almost half; certainly not enough to justify buying this one which I wouldn't have if I had heard this entire recording ahead of time.Too bad because I think Dena is a talent.