Since moving to Portland, Oregon, pianist-composer-lyricist Frishberg has been down-playing his solo piano stints in favor of accompanying other jazz lights, and one of his longest-running duo situations has been with songstress Kilgore. She has a straightforward, non-gimmicky vocal approach which is just perfect for the classics of the Great American Songbook, and Frank Loesser is behind many of the gems found there. Dave says of Rebecca: “She’s the easiest to play for of any singer I’ve ever worked with.”
Loesser didn’t have the urbanity and wit of Cole Porter, but his song lyrics were often very believable and conversational. There are not printed lyrics here, but you won’t need them with Kilgore’s fine enunciation and delivery. The singer and pianist really dug deep to come up with the 17 Loesser tunes here – which is still just 2.42% of his total output. Can’t Get Out of This Mood came from a 1942 movies starring Lucille Ball and Victor Mature, Say It from a 1940 Jack Benny spoof of cowboy movies, and Then I Wrote the Minuet in G from a 1939 movie titled Hawaiian Nights that was so bad it is long fogotten. In that one Frishberg thinks Loesser was taking a dig at another song stolen from the classics – My Reverie. There are also some big Loesser hit song from great musicals such as Somebody Somewhere – from Most Happy Fella, and the closing Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat – from Guys and Dolls.
TrackList:
1. Thank Your Lucky Stars
2. Let’s Get Lost
3. Can’t Get Out of This Mood
4. The Lady’s in Love with You
5. Say It (Over and Over Again)
6. Then I Wrote the Minuet in G
7. Somebody, Somewhere
8. The Moon of Manakoora
9. On a Slow Boat to China
10. I Wish I Didn’t Love You So
11. Says My Heart
12. What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
13. Sand in My Shoes
14. What a Rhumba Does to Romance
15. Why Fight the Feeling?
16. I Believe in You
17. Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat
— John Henry
