Alexis Cole with One For All - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (2010) [Japan 2015] SACD ISO + DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

After her superb debut from the Japanese Venus Records (Someday My Prince Will Come), her eagerly awaited second album is something of a coup — she recorded the entire album with the all-star hard bop group One For All. The supergroup that includes Eric Alexander and David Hazeltine has never accompanied a singer for an entire album. The familar standards are tastefully and intelligently arranged, and Cole's attractive voice and the ability to swing are in full display. Her voice is rich and strong. She has impeccable technique and control, and a confident jazz style that hints an influence from Carmen McRae. And, as expected, the ensemble and solo work of the band is simply phenomenal! A rare album that satisfies fans of vocal jazz and fans of serious hardbop, instrumental jazz!

Vocalist Alexis Cole hasn't found a setting or theme that doesn't suit her. Since arriving on the scene near the turn of the century she's covered a tremendous amount of ground and delivered a good number of well-conceived and beautifully executed albums. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To finds Cole joining forces with hard bop-leaning sextet One For All. Together, they charm with a program of tried-and-true classics laced with individualistic sentiments. In "Golden Earrings" we're given bright swing and real heat as Cole tells and sells the tale. Trumpeter Jim Rotondi circles around her with muted obbligato work, and a number of soloists—trombonist Steve Davis, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, and pianist David Hazeltine—take the baton and run with it. Then there's an unusually sly "I Will Wait For You" that leaves just a hint of doubt in its tone, a "Moon River" stripped of cloying sentiments and recast as a 4/4 swinger, and a "Cry Me A River" elevated through Cole's world-wise delivery. All of those numbers indicate that nobody involved with this album is content with delivering cookie-cutter performances. Every one of these songs is shaped in a way that makes them hard to let go of, but each is also followed by something taken happily as a replacement. For example, an "Alone Together" propelled by Joe Farnsworth's drumming and enlivened by horn interjections behind and around the vocals leads to a take of "A Beautiful Friendship" with a million dollar rhythmic feel and an endearing atmosphere. Then that leads to an "All The Things You Are" with a few Latin mini-detours and notable contributions from bassist John Webber and that brings the listener to a "So In Love" toying with the oh-so-complicated nature surrounding the titular four-letter word. It's only in the album's conclusion that the ears are finally left without a suitable follow-up. Alexis Cole and One For All somehow manage to leave us completely satisfied while also wanting more. That's the mark of a fine album, and that's proof that this one is most certainly nice to come home to.

Tracklist:

01. Golden Earrings
02. I Will Wait For You
03. Moon River
04. Delilah
05. Cry Me A River
06. Alone Together
07. A Beautiful Friendship
08. All The Things You Are
09. So In Love
10. You've Changed
11. You'd Be Nice To Come Home To

Personnel
Alexis Cole - vocals
One For All:
Eric Alexander - tenor sax
Jim Rotondi - trumpet
Steve Davis - trombone
David Hazeltine - piano
John Webber - bass
Joe Farnsworth - drums

Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Tetsuo Hara. Engineered by Katherine Miller.
Recorded on April 28-29, 2010 at Avatar Studio in New York.
Venus Hyper Magnum Sound Direct Mix. VENUS Japan # VHGD-114.


Thanks to jazzyman!
Uncompressed SACD ISO size > 2,27 GB
>