what
people are saying......
Wanda Stafford
Live At Pearls
5455 - 87768 - 2
Wanda Stafford, vocals; Si Perkoff, piano; Michael Zisman, bass; Vince Lateano,
drums.
This was the last recording made at the San Francisco club, 'Jazz at Pearls',
and Wanda Stafford and her backing trio does it proud. A swinging,
musical set, opening with "Gypsy In My Soul", Ms Stafford,
with her slightly smoky voice, displays a timing and bluesy feeling that makes
for rich listening. There is the splendid intuitive backing group
of Michael Zisman on bass, Vince Lateano on drums and the remarkably poised and
cohesive piano of Si Perkoff, covering and coloring Wanda's spaces with authority
and support. The given edge of a live performance and pure improvisation throughout
gives the whole CD a buzz. Wanda conveys a story in her songs; she
is articulate and immaculate in her presentation, with an added laid-back bluesy
shrewdness. "Here I am In Love Again" is a good example
of her well paced style and Si Perkoff adds a sensitive solo to enhance it. With
"Everybody Gets the Blues", she is in her element, dragging and turning
each phrase with an undisguised relish, Perkoff's piano sits right on her shoulder
throughout. This CD is excellent value.
by Ferdinand Maylin, jazznow.com
Wanda Stafford
Let's Face the Music
W.INC Records 8817
Wanda Stafford, vocals; David Baker, conductor; Pat Harbison, trumpet; Randy Salman,
alto sax; Tom Walsh, tenor sax; Sam Bartka, baritone sax; Luke Gillespie, piano;
Bob Sherman, guitar; Jeff Hiatt, bass; Jonathan Wacker, drums and percussion
As one whose memory extends all the way back to Jo Stafford, I looked forward
to hearing what another Stafford might have to offer. The answer: quite a lot.
Wanda Stafford (no relation to Jo), an Indianan who now calls the San Francisco
Bay Area home, is one of the more accomplished young Jazz singers I've heard recently.
Aside from her lucid and sexy midrange voice and near-flawless
diction, Stafford's main asset, in my opinion, lies in her expressive and thoughtful
approach to each lyric. She understands clearly that every song conveys a story,
and she's a wonderful storyteller. And like most good singers, Stafford
makes almost everything appear deceptively easy. The program consists mainly of
time-tested standards by Berlin, Porter, Loesser, Sammy Cahn, Harry Warren, and
others, with a few Jazzier numbers ("I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues,"
"Shiny Stockings," "Waiter, Make Mine Blues") tossed in to
add spice. Whoever programmed the disc had the good sense to place the least successful
numbers ("I Wish I Knew," "I Got Lost in His Arms," "Come
Dance with Me") at the end.
Stafford's backup octet, most of whose members are from her alma mater, Indiana
University, is ably conducted by IU's Dr. David Baker. The solos, by alto saxophonist
Randy Salman, tenor Tom Walsh, trumpeter Pat Harbison, and pianist Luke Gillespie,
are brief but decorous. She's not Jo, but this Stafford can also sing, and her
debut is consistently impressive.
by Jack Bowers, www.jazznow.com