The CD title, Movin' On, won't be found among the 13 song titles, but the concept pervades the album. Some samples: "Softly as I Leave You," "Every Time We Say Goodbye," "After You’ve Gone," "Goodbye." Get the message? It’s Claire Daly’s way of dealing with a series of personal traumas, but if you’re expecting nearly 70 minutes of dirges played on that most appropriate instrument of sadness, the baritone sax, guess again. This is a gently swinging quartet session. This is Daly’s second album as a leader, but her resume as a side-woman stretches from Taj Mahal to the all-female big band Diva to Billy Taylor. Here she receives correct but uninspiring backing from pianist Eli Yamin, bassist Dave Hofstra and drummer Peter Grant. Daly’s improvisations-usually in the thinner air of the tenor range-are clean and well sculpted, but seldom adventurous. Her most heartfelt ballad efforts can be heard on "Every Time We Say Goodbye," and she responds nicely to guest trumpeter James Zollar when they trade eights on "If Ever I Would Leave You." Daly’s best moments can be heard on the swinger "You Said It," and when she digs down into the bowels of her horn for Monk's "Bye-Ya," Mingus' "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," Mulligan-inspired "Love Me or Leave Me" she truly captures the essence of farewell. Daly’s two vocals, "Smile" and "Some Other Time," are unadorned, almost tentative, but she knows how to leave out words in order to shape a line. ~ Harvey Siders, Jazztimes.com.
Koch Jazz, KOC CD-51008, 2002
Recorded 30th & 31st May,
2001 at Nola Studios, New York City
Musicians:
Claire Daly - Baritone Sax,
Vocals (#5,13)
Eli Yamin - Piano
Dave Hofstra - Bass
Peter Grant - Drums
James Zollar - Trumpet (#2,7)
Tracks:
01. Softly As I Leave You
{Antonio De Vita, Giorgio Calabrese, Hal Shaper} (4:22)
02. You Said It {Tommy
Turrentine} (4:35)
03. Every Time We Say Goodbye
{Cole Porter} (4:34)
04. Goodbye {Gordon Jenkins}
(7:02)
05. Smile {Charlie Chaplin}
(5:00)
06. After You’ve Gone {Henry
Creamer, Turner Layton} (5:41)
07. If Ever I Would Leave You
{Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe} (6:29)
08. Goodbye Porkpie Hat
{Charles Mingus} (5:30)
09. Birdie Bye {Joel
Forrester} (5:14)
10. A Bientot {Billy Taylor}
(5:51)
11. Bye-Ya {Thelonious Monk}
(4:13)
12. Love Me Or Leave Me {Gus
Kahn, Walter Donaldson} (5:56)
13. Some Other Time {Betty
Comden, Adolph Green, Leonard Bernstein} (2:47)
Total Time: 67:20
Credits:
Producer, Editing - David
Merrill
Engineer - Jim Czak
Engineer [Assistant] - Dan
Hewins
Package Design - Colleen Cody
Photography - Enid Farber
Liner Notes - Lara
Pellegrinelli
