Album Review
The pulling power of the names of top stars is quite strong. Here the attraction is Bob Dorough who is "featured" on jazz vocalist Debby Yeager's initial album. "Featured" translates into duets with Yeager on two of the album's 12 cuts. Nonetheless, after this release Yeager should have some pulling power of her own. Showing an affinity to a wide swath of Latin music, she combines that syncopation of a jazz singer with the lyrical feel of a good cabaret singer, where that feel is needed. But it's the use of her voice as an instrument that sets her apart. On an exhilarating, exciting "Songo Mongo" her wordless vocalizing fits right in there with the pulsating piano of Mark Massey and the tenor sax of Doug Webb andSteve Crum on trumpet. There are times when Yeager comes across like a one-person New York Voices or Manhattan Transfer, so much energy does she exude with her voice. Other times she can deliver an ear-grabbing version of a tune like "My Little Boat" with distinctive and, more important, subtle phrasing. There is no need to pull any vocal gimmick from the bag of vocal tricks to put the song across. And once more, her voice is part of the overall musical tableau in which this song is presented and which makes it one of the more attractive tracks on the CD. The fretless bass of Marco Mendoza is prominent. Setting aside the voice as an instrument approach for a while, she gives full ballad treatment to "The Day It Rained" riding atop Webb's soulful flute, and has some fun with spoken semi-novelty tune "True Turtle Tale." Oh yes, the two cuts with Dorough are OK too, with "Nothing Like You" the better of the two cuts.
