Greta Matassa is something of a contemporary legend in the Northwest due to her incredible vocal skills. On this, her fourth album (at least on local Origin Records), she continues to showcase her excellent abilities. Her vocals are lilting where they should be, heavier where they should be, and she's one of the few contemporary jazz vocalists that can pull off a proper round of scatting without coming off gimmicky (as she does to good effect in Cole Porter's classic "Delovely"). While her voice is fine, it's her phrasing ...
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Greta Matassa is something of a contemporary legend in the Northwest due to her incredible vocal skills. On this, her fourth album (at least on local Origin Records), she continues to showcase her excellent abilities. Her vocals are lilting where they should be, heavier where they should be, and she's one of the few contemporary jazz vocalists that can pull off a proper round of scatting without coming off gimmicky (as she does to good effect in Cole Porter's classic "Delovely"). While her voice is fine, it's her phrasing that really carries the show -- she has an intuition for where to drop the notes and where to carry them out a bit more. This really comes into play in the hotter numbers on the album (which are also where she really gets to show off her outstanding band as well). Unfortunately there's something of a leaning toward softer, slower ballads here, which leads to less work from the band, and less opportunity for Matassa to show off her real skills. Her ornamentation can become almost obsequious in the process -- some will enjoy it as exploration of the range, some will shun it as overdramatic. Fans of hers, and fans of vocal jazz in general, should forgive such minor issues readily though, with the bulk of goodness that can still be found here. ~ Adam Greenberg, Rovi
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Add this copy of The Smiling Hour to cart. $20.62, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Origin Records.
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Bergman/Bergman/Man; Bock/Holofcener/Wei; Carmichael; Dubin/Herbert; Ellington/Torme; Lins; Martino; Metheny/Shrieve; Porter;... New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of The Smiling Hour to cart. $25.24, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Origin Records.
Add this copy of The Smiling Hour to cart. $30.05, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2007 by Origin Records.
