Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jackie Ryan with John Clayton & Friends: Listen Here

Jackie Ryan with John Clayton & Friends: Listen Here

By Nicholas F. Mondello
January 25, 2013
View read count

Jackie Ryan with John Clayton & Friends: Listen Here

With Listen Here, vocalist Jackie Ryan offers a diverse and delectable array of Great American Songbook and jazz classics, well-known but not regularly-recorded older hits, and superb original selections. Supported by Grammy Award-winning bassist

John Clayton

bass
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">John Clayton and most able friends (including Clayton's son, pianist

Gerald Clayton

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Clayton, a three-time Grammy nominee), the overall effort soars. It's a tour de force of talent and taste.

Ryan's voice is full, highly resonant and eminently inviting. It is also one of subtle shadings. Her colorings run from the bluest blue to the sultriest scarlet. Her intonation and rhythmic sense—knowing precisely where to place a beat within a lyric line—are uncanny. Those unique abilities assist perfectly in displaying and enhancing her fine emotional range. She covers the 14-cut session with elegance, grace and swing.

A funk version of the pop-jazz hit "Comin' Home Baby" and the straight-ahead "Gypsy in My Soul" place Ryan out in front and make the initial up-tempo statements. While they launch the effort in fine shape, Ryan's wheelhouse doors open wide on her string-accompanied "Throw It Away." Crescendo, decrescendo and lyric interplay dominate this highlight. The ensuing ballad selections "I Love You, Porgy," "A Time for Love" and "Before We Fall in Love" demonstrate Ryan's gorgeous lyric approach and mile-deep emotional depth. And, not to be constrained, she does it in Spanish, too ("La Puerta").

The gospel-ized version of

Harold Arlen

composer / conductor
1905 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Harold Arlen and

Johnny Mercer

composer / conductor
1909 - 1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Mercer's "Accentuate the Positive"—played here at a divine tempo— demonstrates that Ryan can sing hand-on-hip and finger-wag powerful. It's a hoot, as there's no faux soul in the rendition. She seals the deal with "No One Ever Tells You." Rickey Woodard's tenor funks up both selections

Gerald Clayton's impeccable taste, touch and meticulous accompaniment dovetail beautifully with Ryan's vocal instrument. The result is, indeed, keyboard/vocal unity. The sonorous John Clayton and guitarist

Graham Dechter

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Graham Dechter are understated elegance throughout. Drummer

Obed Calvaire

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Obed Calvaire wisely never intrudes, and trumpeter Gilbert Castellano offers white- hot solos when and where he stretches out.

Listen Here is an apropos title for this wonderfully entertaining recording, one which delivers abundant aural riches by way of a truly gifted vocal talent. It's also a great suggestion.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Comin' Home Baby; The Gypsy In My Soul; Throw It Away; Accentuate The Positive; Anytime, Any Day, Anywhere; I Loves You Porgy; How Little We Know (How Little It Matters); La Puerta; Rip Van Winkle; A Time For Love; No One Ever Tells You; Before We Fall In Love; To The Ends Of The Earth; Listen Here.

Personnel

Jackie Ryan

vocals

Gerald Clayton

piano

John Clayton

bass

Gilbert Castellanos

trumpet

Graham Dechter

guitar

Obed Calvaire

drums

Rickey Woodard

saxophone, tenor

Album information

Title: Listen Here | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: OpenArt Productions

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Wulu Wulu
< Previous

Before We Say Goodbye To 2012
Next >

Jackie Ryan Concerts

Nov 9 Sun

Jackie Ryan - 25th Anniversary Of “passion...

Piedmont Piano Company
Oakland, CA

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.