Torch Swingin'
2000 Teresa Manzella
Torch Swingin'
2000 Teresa Manzella
The Band:
Teresa
Manzella – vocals; John Hyvarinen – guitar; Adam Linz – bass; Tony Moreno
– drums; Gary Berg – tenor sax; Mary Louise Knutson – piano; Michael
O’Brien - bass
“Her voice is joy-filled and effortless. When you listen…you can feel a wealth of
gentle strength and good taste. All in all,
this is an auspicious release by a vocalist surely destined for great things.” –
Johnny Adams, “And All That Jazz” (KNRY/KIEZ), Moneterey County Post (CA)
In her debut album, Teresa Manzella
hits some home runs. Throughout the CD you
will find great vocals backed by equally great musicianship. Manzella has a smooth style that glides over the
swingin’ rhythm section, floating from phrase to phrase.
This is a great jazz album with some
inspiring covers. However, dancers will only
find a couple of great danceable tunes. But
as long as they are willing to lend an ear and not just a couple of dancin’ feet,
they will find wonderful music throughout.
Dancers will enjoy Out of Nowhere,
a song with good energy at 161 beats per minute (bpm), My Babe, another faster
tempo at 179 bpm, Lullaby of Birdland, a great rendition at 142 bpm and a wonderful
version of I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm at 115 bpm. Don’t panic at the beginning of this song. It starts out a little interesting but I promise
it swings and you’ll want to be on the dance floor for it.
Two tunes on the bubble include Sassy’s
Blues at 126 bpm, which I would have considered my favorite danceable song on the CD
if it hadn’t had the 1:27 bass solo that makes even the experienced Lindy Hopper
struggle out on the floor, and You’d be So Nice to Come Home To, a great
swingin’ song with no suprises like in Sassy’s Blues. This one, however, may scare some off with a
cookin’ 226 bpm. However it is truly a
great song and if you do Balboa, Shag or Fast Lindy, you’ll like this one.
The rest of the tunes are good but
don’t lend themselves to swing dancing. My
favorite of the slower tempos is Peel Me a Grape (88 bpm). Manzella’s voice is sexy and inviting, a
great play with the lyrics of the song.
Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy….. IF YOU LIKE JAZZ, BUY THIS ONE! If you do, here’s how: contact Ms. Manzella by email at temafiki@earthlink.net.