Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mark Jennett: Everybody Says Don't
Mark Jennett: Everybody Says Don't
Geoff Gascoyne
bassJennett opens up with Stephen Sondheim's "Everybody Says Don't," taken at speed. Gascoyne's acoustic bass and
Rob Barron
pianoThe pace drops for a ballad reading of Cole Porter's "Just One Of Those Things": sadly, a little too slowly to retain interest, but it's a brief drop in quality. Rogers and Hammerstein's "You've Got To Be Taught" follows on: a bright, up-tempo, rendition that sparkles with energy.
Andy Panayi
saxophone, tenorb.1964
On Joe Bushkin and John DeVries' "Oh, Look At Me Now" accompaniment is supplied by Gascoyne, on acoustic bass, and De Krom, sparingly but once again with swing. Jennett responds with one of his best performances. Two Bacharach and David songs, beautifully performed, offer stark lyrical contrasts. Jennett captures the singer's suspicion and anxiety on "Are You There (With Another Boy)"—the tale still resonates, even if internet streaming might now replace the radio. The melody of "Wives And Lovers"—performed here in 5/4—is still gorgeous, but reminders to the wives to look their best to keep their husbands from straying ("men will be men" after all) don't sit comfortably today even if David may have been less than serious.
Two of the finest songs could be said to come from the New American Songbook. For
Paul Simon
composer / conductorb.1941
Randy Newman
pianob.1943
Altogether, Everybody Says Don't stands as a fine showcase for songwriting, music production and performance. Jennett is a singer who understands and immerses himself in the stories the songs are telling: it's a talent that shines through on this enjoyable album. ">
Track Listing
Everybody Says Don't; Are You There (With Another Boy); Wives And Lovers; Some People; There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This; How Long Has This Been Going On; Just One Of Those Things; You've Got To Be Carefully Taught; Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here; Oh, Look At Me Now; Train In The Distance; Mixed Up Guy/Magic Garden; Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear; Slow Boat To China.
Personnel
Mark Jennett: vocal; Martin Shaw: trumpet; Andy Panayi: tenor saxophone, flute; Rob Barron: piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, organ; Geoff Gascoyne: acoustic bass, electric bass, glockenspiel, organ, synthesizer; Sebastiaan De Krom: drums.
Album information
Title: Everybody Says Don't | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Jazzizit
Tags
Mark Jennett
CD/LP/Track Review
Bruce Lindsay
Jazzizit
United Kingdom
London
Geoff Gascoyne
Sebastian De Krom
Rob Barron
Andy Panayi
Paul Simon
Randy Newman
Everybody Says Don't
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
London
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses
| More...
Buy Now
