Customer Reviews

Right On My Way Home

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Bob and I wrote one of the songs on this CD ("Whatever Happened to Love Songs?") a few years ago and listening to it makes me glad to have received gifts from the muse. He sings another of my lyrics ("Better Than Anything") every time he appears in person: he's recorded it twice! Although I have no objectivity about this rendition, it certainly sounds pleasant enough to remember.

My Hero, Dorough... The voice that charmed Saturday morning ears is still alive and well. This straight-ahead jazz album is not more of the funky rock tunes from Schoolhouse Rock, but you will be moved in the same way by his voice and playful spirit. Bob Dorough has compiled some great songs on this album that reflect his character and musical ability. As he sings and plays jazz piano, he pays homage to some of the giants of jazz and he tickles the funny bone. To round out the album with a cathartic effect, he ends on a blue note singing Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most. But then, life is bittersweet too, n'est-ce pas? Last year, I had the pleasure of seeing the Bob Dorough trio performing some of these numbers. (And of course he also did a few Schoolhouse Rock sing-alongs at the end of each set.) Joining Dorough on this album are his old friends (bassist and right-hand man) Bill Takas and drummer Grady Tate. (Tate lent his distinctive voice to several of the Schoolhouse Rock tunes.) Also aboard are contemporary hard-working jazzmen like Christian McBride, Joe Lovano and Billy Hart. If this album resonates with you as it did with me, look for his earlier works too. Bob Dorough was active in the New York jazz scene in the 1950's and 1960's. Of special note are his collaborations with Miles Davis. Blue Xmas, a cynical and comical Bebop tune, is one of my favorites. Well, I could say tons more, but I'll leave you with a final thought. Darn, that's the end.

Bob Dorough is a tremendously talented music man - and this set is a winner!! His originals are the standouts - though he does charming things with Zacherly, Walk On, Something for Sidney, Hodges and Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most - all of which sound like he could have written them, if you didn't know better, and didn't check the credits! This CD is a breath of fresh air and proves that you don't have to be a "household name" to bring the best dish to the party!!

If you love the English language and you love Jazz, this CD is for you. Words and Music come together here. "Moon River" starts it off with a familiar tune done in Bob's style and then you understand the rest of the songs. I just met Bob Dorough at the "Colonel Sanders Way" awards. He won for his work on "School House Rock" and for his recent accomplishments as a Jazz Artist at age 75. This album knows no age. My 3 Kids(aged 19-28)grew up with Bob's Saturday morning Show and they loved his new stuff too. "Up Jumped a Bird" is in 5/4 time and I think Bob trained Dave Brubeck, but didn't teach him the lyrics. Rap artists could only hope to do as well playing and rapping at the same time. He does two tributes to his fellow musicians that are stellar. The last song about Spring brings you back to earth. Too Bad---Naw! Larue

I first discovered Bob Dorough when I heard his album, "Devil May Care," which he made for Bethlehem records in the middle 1950s (the title song was quickly picked up by Miles Davis and placed in the repertoire). It remains to this day one of my favorite albums, warm and witty, profoundly hip, raw enough around the edges to immediately deter many first-time listeners but an inexhaustible treasure to any listener who loves an unadorned, unpretentious approach to melody and a direct route to the very heart of American popular song. Over 30 years later I caught Dorough live at Gregory's in Manhattan, where he was mostly being ignored by the clientele (with the exception of Jerry Stiller and Ann Meara, both of whom seemed to appreciate Dorough's extraordinary talent the more I pointed it out to them!). Unfortunately, none of the recorded efforts I've heard from Dorough made in the last 25 years captures the spirit of the man or the essence of his music. They're uneven, frequently distracting with performances that sound more "hep" than hip and treatments that sound contrived. But this man is an immensely gifted artist, a survivor like Shirley Horn and no less important despite his comparative neglect. If you can't find the early albums or catch him live (how I wish he could get a club date in Chicago or Milwaukee), his current recorded product will have to suffice.

"Too Much Coffee Man" is still my favorite by this unique jazzman, but this is a close second. He's got a great band behind him, and none of them taking themselves too serious--Grady Tate and Billy Hart on drums, Christian McBride on bass, and Joe Lovano, never sounding better, on sax. It's like Lovano was able to relax and not prove anything. But the best part, as always, is Dorough's songs, which are always surprising and humorous. This is not serious jazz, but it's not jazz lite either. Great stuff. Bob Dorough is a true national treasure! Also, check out his classic "Devil May Care."

Bob Dorough is a very special artist. He cannot really be compared to anyone and still do him justice. It's the voice of course and the music. He always picks the best standards to record and makes them "his" always. His original songs are like no other song writer. A unique combination of heart and humor. He gives new life to "Moon River" on this CD. I did not think I could ever listen to that song again but Bob's arrangement is awsome. My personal favorite, (this week) is, "Up Jumped A Bird" a fast paced beauty that speaks deeply to the heart and is damn hard to sing. I've tried. I hope he lives forever. The world needs more artists like him. He is irreplaceable and he has done far too little recording.