Album Review: Dreamland from Libby York

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Album:  Dreamland
Artist:  Libby York
Label:  OA2 Records
Website:  www.libbyyork.com

Shining the spotlight on lesser known jazz standards, vocalist Libby York nurtures a visceral sensitivity in her delivery of these tunes on her latest release Dreamland from OA2 Records.  She has the effect of awakening the audiences' attachment to soothing lullabies.  Channeling the nightingale side of her vocalese, York comes forward as a stunning crooner.

York's vocals have the impact of making the listener feel like a child, being cradled, soothed, caressed, and swaddled in the arms of a protective parent.  Joined by Randy Napoleon on piano, Rodney Whitaker on bass, and Keith Hall on drums, Libby York displays an attractive consistency in her repertoire, which some might perceive as old-fashioned stylizing, but her old-fashioned stylizing is unassailably engaging and contemporary in her approach and manner.

The gentleness in her vocal strokes suture graceful swells along "When October Goes," projecting dreamy atmospherics.  Sparsely spun in the lulling rhythmic beats of bass and keys silhouetting York's vocals, the music creates a tranquilizing soundscape with the lofty consonance of a symphony.  The silky ministrations of Whitaker's bass strings support York's pacifying vocals along "Moon Ray" as she fantasizes notably with a buoyant lilt in her timbres, "Moon ray cast your spell upon my lover / Under the starlit cover / Use all your magic charms / Moon ray let your sweet enchantment blind him / Than I shall wait to find him / Here in my lonely arms."

York's interpretation of torchlight lullabies and reflective ballads display her nightingale-like sonorous, having the impact of creating an intimacy with her audience, giving them the impression that the lyrics are taken from chapters of her own autobiography.  Her instinct to reach into the core of a lyric and emote its meaning in a manner that audiences can relate to is what makes her a stunning crooner.  

Musicians:
Libby York - vocals
Randy Napoleon - piano
Rodney Whitaker - bass
Keith Hall - drums

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