RECORD REVIEWS

Today, her name is rapidly fading into the shadows of history. Enter Dr. Robert E. Sunenblick. His Uptown label rescues lost music

JORGE ROSSY SiAY IH ERE and publishes it in CD packages with informative liner notes, noshlgic pho- tographs, and optimized sound. Southern's art was introverted and nuanced. She often talked a song, in a small, little-girl-lost voice that recalls Blossom Dearie. But Southern had real pipes, and could ascend dra- JORGE ROSSY JERI SOUTHERN matic crescendos when she chose. Her Stay There Blue Note, Chicogo: Morch 1956 intonation and diction were flawless. lorge Rossy, vibes, marimba; , tenor Jeri Southern, vocals, piano; Al Bruno, double bass; Torch songs were her sweet spot. Her saxophone; Peter Bernstein, guitar; Doug Weiss, Dominic "Mickey" Simonetta, drums versions of "You Better Go Now" (her bass; Al Foster, drums (CD). Uptown UPCD 2284 Robert E. Sunenblick, oniy hit), "scarlet Ribbons," and "He Pirouet PlT3096 (CD). 20I6. Jason Seizer, prod.; MD, David A. Sunenblick, prods.; Frank Holzfiend, 'Was Daniel Dettwiler, eng. DDD. eng.; Doug Benson, audio restoration. ADD. TT: 68:15 Too Good to Me" sound un- TT:51:34 adorned, almost matter-of-fact. But her PERToRMAT{cE ffi PERFORMANCE ffi sorrcs EXf,il clarity and sincerity place each song in soNrcs Ed-lIlB a special, pure, standalone domain. After several high-profile years as the Even greatjazz artists are often forgot- This album comes from a club long drummer in pianist 's ten, lost to the merciless ravages of closed, whose long-deceased owner, trio,Jorge Rossy opted to become time.Jeri Southern had a brief run in Frank Holzfiend, made his own a full-time pianist himse[ and his the 1950s. Singers such as Frank Sina- recordings. The sound isjust good leader output on that instnrment has tra and Nat "King' Cole respected her enough. Southern made you come to attested to the refinement and broad as a peer. But her career ended in 1962, her. Then, as she sings a great, familiar scope of his musicianship. On Stay when she was 36. She lived 30 more song like "When I Fall in Love," you Thue, however, Rossy exclusively plays years, but stopped performing, due not hear its brave, fragile human vow of vibraphone and marimba, focusing to the usual pitfalls of the j azzllfe,btt faith as if for the first time. on original music with a top-shelf and because she suffered from stage fright. -ThomcComd startlingly strong band. On one level, this is a no-fuss date of swinging straight-ahead j azz. Tbe qt:ln- tet plays through the tunes, highlights \irur ticket to lriglr cnd uudio the singing melodies, and stays within a calm, simmering dynamic range. But the blend of Rossy's vibes with Peter Iewis Bernstein's guitar and Mark Tirrner's i Lewi$-__. im tenor sax is beautiful and utterly refreshing, from the brief chamber- :$"g,+loUideo {. ballad "Mark s Mode" to the hard-bop , Cffitom Sofrrtio[s ffi feel of "Mmmyeah" and "W Waltz." . 508.588. There are shades here ofBobby Hutcherson with Grant Green, or per- haps Paul Desmond withJim Hall. Yet ConradJohnson Rossy's writing has its own harmonic Martin Logan EAT push-and-pull that sends the players NAD Masters Control4 NAIM into areas they might not otherwise Anthem Paradigm go. The result is some of Turner's most SONY Projectors NAD Classic luminous work on record. lntegra Research The presence ofveteran drummer Savant Focal Al Foster, down to the inclusion of Primare : his own bossa nova-tinged "Paulera," Triad lends another layer of depth. (It also 6ony ES helps that Rossy hired Doug Weiss, Sony XBR Foster's bassist of choice.) Six of the tO VISIT OUR SHOWROOM tracks feature Foster's lightly stepping, ATTHE GATEWAYTO deeply bluesy brushwork. His surefoot- OREGON'S WINE COUNTRY edness and sonic creativity stand out in : 2lL2 Portland Road, Newberg, OR 's "ArteSano," a ma- 503.538.U90 . www.lewisav.com rimba feature full of irregular patterns and involved ensemble counteqpoint. -DavidR.Mler

stereophile.com . March 20'17