Jeanie Brandes At Catalina Jazz Club
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by Bob Comden
Singer Jeanie Brandes performed for a one-night engagement at Catalina Jazz Club in May (2010). She was celebrating her CD release party and was backed by fine musicians – Robert Kyle on tenor sax and flute, Randy Landes-bass, Tom Zink and Shelly Markham on pianos and B. Gordon on drums. Brandes is a very energetic singer, who shows a lot of confidence. She uses a lot of hand gestures to get her point across. She started the set with a lively "Night and Day," putting a lot of feeling into her rendition. Kyle and Zink added strong solos. "A Day In The Life of a Fool" was done as a slow samba, with Kyle adding a pretty flute solo. Brandes sang with a lot of spirit and the rhythem section added strong support.
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"What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life?" started out with Landis on bass, setting the tone. Brandes used a strong vibrato and lots of hand gestures, making for a dynamic version. "Where Or When?" was done at a nice, easy tempo, and Brandes' vocal flowed nicely throughout. Kyle's lush tenor added sensuality to the tune. Brandes seemed to be more a cabaret singer than a jazz singer, but she presented herself well. Brandes did a tribute to the late, great Hank Mancini, as she sang "Moon River" for a pretty rendition. "Two For the Road" is a tune not often performed but Brandes sang it well, with fine accompaniment from Zink. She also did a good job on "Like A Lover." Markham took over the piano chair and accompanied Brandes on "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" for a fine version. "One For My Baby" and "The Party's Over" were done as a medley. "Here's That Rainy Day Feeling" was beautifully performed by Brandes and her fine musicians and closed out the set.
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