Screen Name: tahnee
Real Name: Tahnee Udero
Renowned trumpeter Bobby Shew has come full circle, and the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra couldn’t be happier about it. For Shew, who returned to the Albuquerque area about two years ago to “retire,” developing a quality jazz orchestra for his hometown is something he first dreamed of as a teenager. For the orchestra, the decision to offer Shew the position of artistic director—the first in the group’s long history—reflected its decision to go to another level.
On her second release, this young, Philadelphia-based vocalist freshens the American songbook with new takes on old standards, including some out-of-the-way tunes. With a vivid imagination, infallible phrasing, and a sensual and intelligent expressiveness, Pascale discovers surprises in timeworn favorites we all thought we knew. On “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” for example, she eschews the usual skipping giddiness for a slow, bluesy approach, and finds an almost unbearable longing and a charming, genuine delight in an imagined future. She gets excellent support from her band: Tim Warfield (sax), Andrew Adair (piano), Madison Rast (bass) and Dan Monaghan (drums). (MM)
... that taste great together. Le Chat Lunatique and Zoltan Orkestar speak with muddled Euro-Slavic accents at Burt’s Tiki Lounge (21+, free) on Friday, Dec. 19. (LM)