[Dixielandjazz] "Wild Women of Song" - Jersey Jazz

[Robert Ringwald]

"Wild Women of Song" 
Review Jersey Jazz by Joe Lang



(Three Handed Records – 1005) is vocalist PAMELA ROSE's tribute
to the "Great Gal Composers if the Jazz Era."  Rose, who has performed jazz, blues
and soul music professionally for over 30 years, has most recently been concentrating
on the music found on this album.  Among the woman songwriters included in her program
are Peggy Lee ("I Don't Know Enough About You"), Doris Fisher ("That Ole Devil Called
Love"), Alberta Hunter and Lovie Austin ("Down Hearted Blues"), Maria Grever ("What
a Difference a Day Made"), Ida Cox ("Wild Women (Don't Have the Blues)"), Vee Lawnhurst
and Tot Seymour ("And Then Some"), Dorothy Fields ("A Fine Romance" and "I'm in the
Mood for Love"), Dana Suesse ("My Silent Love"), Kay Swift ("Can't We Be Friends"),
and Bernice Petkere ("Close Your Eyes").  There are also three songs with lyrics
by Rose, two of them with music by the talented guitarist Mimi Fox.  Austin, Fisher,
Grever, Lawnhurst, Suesse, and Swift were composers; Lee, Hunter, Seymour and Fields
were lyricists; while Cox and Petkere wrote both words and music.  Rose does a terrific
job of singing the songs, and injecting them with the appropriate period feeling.
Her research for this project also led her to write a book of the same title that
provides brief biographies for each of these ladies except Austin, but does include
a profile of Lil Harden Armstrong.  The 76-page soft cover book is also chock full
of great photographs, and provides bibliographies, song lists and listening suggestions
for each of the subjects of the book.  A CD with several of the selection from the
disc mentioned above plus a few others comes with the book.  This is a wonderful
project that provides a lot of information in a concise manner, and gives a listener
the opportunity to taste the talents of these women, as well as that of Rose.  (
www.pamelarose.com


--Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com