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Working Day and Night
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JAZZ WURX JWRO12D [46:58]
Working Day and Night
Don’t You Dare Get Bored With Me
Old Devil Moon
The Masquerade
Every Breath You Take
It Never Entered My Head
Here’s that Rainy Day
Cuban Alibi
Bonus Track: Georgia on my Mind
Kevin Fitzsimons (vocals); Frank Griffith (tenor sax); Leon Greening (piano); Adam King (bass); Matt Fishwick (drums); Lloyd Haines (drums on bonus track).
Recorded live at the Pizza Express, Soho, London July 2017, except Georgia, recorded Underground Theatre Jazz Club, November 2016
Kevin Fitzsimmons is a London-born jazz vocalist and performs regularly in clubs and at events around the area. He has a lively Las Vegas-lounge singing style, patterned after Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble, with echoes of Buddy Greco, Mel Torme and Bobby Darin. This disc features nine songs; eight were recorded live at Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho in July, 2016, with pianist Leon Greening, bassist Adam King, drummer Matt Fishwick, and Frank Griffith on tenor sax. A bonus track (Georgia On My Mind) was recorded live at Underground Theatre Jazz Club in November, 2016, with drummer Lloyd Haines providing the percussion. Kevin is a polished singer and live entertainer and knows how to swing a song. Occasionally he will scat with a short, quick stutter, an interesting gimmick that works well in several numbers, including a great swing version of Michael Jackson’sWorking Day and Night, featuring a bright piano accompaniment. Old Devil Moon was written by Burton Lane, with lyrics by Yip Harburg for the 1947 musical Finian’s Rainbow. The band performs an up-tempo version with swinging sax and piano solos, setting the stage for Kevin’s loose, casual, nonchalant vocals. Here’s That Rainy Day was written by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke, and appeared in the 1953 musical Carnival in Flanders. The show itself only ran for six performances, but the fabulous song has lived on and been performed by many artists. The band performs the tune with a sparkling bossa nova rhythm which belies the song title, with masterful drumming by Matt Fishwick and a smoothly textured bass line by Adam King. The song It Never Entered My Mind was written by Rodgers and Hart for the 1940 musical Higher and Higher. Kevin sings the slow, lingering ballad with his uniquely casual style, while the band performs with a smooth, sensitive accompaniment that occasionally lapses intoThe Surrey With The Fringe On Top and I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face. Such is the way with jazz artists.
This disc was produced by Kevin Fitzsimmons. Mixing and mastering was performed by Derek Nash at Clown Pocket Studio in Kent. No booklet is included; liner notes and credits are on the disc cover.
Bruce McCollum