Cynthia Felton – Come Sunday – The Music of Duke Ellington – Felton Entertainment FE0002, 63:04 ****:
(Cynthia Felton – vocals, arrangements; Patrice Rushen – piano; Cyrus Chesnut – piano; Donald Brown – piano; John Beasley – piano; Terri Lyne Carrington – drums; Jeff “Tain” Watts – drums: Yaron Israel – drums; Lorca Hart – drums; Munyoungo Jackson – percussion; Tony Dumas – bass; Robert Hurst – bass; John B. Williams – bass; Ryan Cross – bass; Ronald Muldrow – guitar; Wallace Roney – trumpet; Nolan Shaheed – trumpet; Ernie Watts – tenor saxophone; Jeff Clayton – alto saxophone; Carol Robbins – harp.)
It requires a touch of audacity for a vocalist to cover Duke Ellington. Legendary performers, including Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald, have left a distinctive imprint on these songs. Ellington’s sophisticated arrangements helped to define American Music (Ellington’s self-description) in the Twentieth Century.
Dr. Cynthia Felton appears to be capable of assuming this challenge. With degrees from Berklee School of Music (Bachelor of Music), New York University (Masters in Jazz Performance), and the University of Southern California (Doctorate in Jazz Studies), she has proven to be a diligent music scholar. The release of Afro Blue in 2009, celebrating the music of Oscar Brown Jr., garnered critical praise. With both arrangement and production credits, she demonstrated an instinctive perception of assorted music styles and themes. Additionally, Felton possesses a nearly four octave vocal range, suitable to jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel.
Come Sunday is a thirteen-song tribute to the musicianship of Duke Ellington. The songs are notable for their diverse instrument combinations. The rollicking, “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” features a crisp trio format of piano, bass and drum enveloping the wailing, scat-laden vocals. “Caravan” benefits from African percussion (Munyoungo Jackson), a suggestive trumpet solo (Wallace Roney), and tempo shifts, creating an exotic resonance. Following the lead of Ellington, Felton showcases the accompanists. An unusual duet with voice and bass (Ryan Cross) conveys a playful quality on “In a Mellow Tone”. “Duke’s Place” (C Jam Blues), a larger ensemble construct, swings with vigor, augmented by a horn chorus. Another uptempo opus, “I’m Beginning to See the Light”, add guitar and saxophone to generate a “cool” attitude.
The singing prowess of Felton remains the focal point of the album. She is capable of infusing the numbers with exceptional harmonics and emotion. The title track, sung with gospel fervor, is deeply evocative, distinguished by an impressive upper register. “I Got It Bad” receives a stylistic rendering, but displays subtlety, cautious not to overwhelm the melody. Her phrasing and timing blend with the instrumentation, whether it’s breezy, swing time (“Perdido”) or melancholic blues (“Lush Life”).
The jazz vocal genre has a new vanguard.
TrackList: It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing; Caravan; In a Sentimental Mood; In a Mellow Tone; Lush Life; Perdido; Come Sunday; Take the A Train; I Got It Bad; Sophisticated Lady; I’m Beginning to See the Light; Duke’s Place (C Jam Blues); Prelude to a Kiss.
— Robbie Gerson
