My Favorite Things is Laura Chalk’s debut recording, and it proves to be enjoyable. Backed by the stellar Danny Embrey (Danny also arranged all of the tunes except for the title cut), Paul Smith, Bob Bowman, and Todd Strait (with Rod Fleeman bringing his acoustic guitar to several tracks), Laura brings her clear voice to a program of bossa novas, ballads, and standards.
Chalk’s vocals have several characteristics that add to the selections. She has a way of fading off the notes that can make a phrase slowly dissipate into mix. She also has her own way with rhythm, treating it like a rubber band, stretching and contracting to add contrast with this dead-on-time rhythm section. I can’t quite put my finger on who her voice reminds me of, the closest I have gotten to it is Lani Hall (who sang on many of Sergio Mendes’ late 1960’s recordings), but the voice is less airy than what Lani brought to those recordings.
The four Brazilian tracks are all highlights. Laura opens in English and finishes in Portuguese on “Meditation” and “O Barquinho (My Little Boat)”. Embrey’s rhythm guitar sets the mood on both. Chalk scats in unison with Danny on the latter to fine effect. “Like A Lover” is a scrumptious ballad. And “So Many Stars” (with Fleeman taking the guitar chair and providing a sweet opening with Chalk) is as pretty a tune as you’ll hear. Chalk seems to be staring into a clear night sky on this reading.
“My Favorite Things” is Chalk’s arrangement, a weaving of the 5/4 of “Take Five” into the lope of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. It opens with the typical “Take Five” rhythmic intro, then slides into the more familiar “My Favorite Things” time. Like the Coltrane classic on this tune, there is a vamp between choruses, but here it returns to the 5/4. The Smith and Embrey solos are to “My Favorite Things”, then Strait burns a 5/4 solo before a scatting Chalk takes it out. This arrangement works.
“Willow” brings Bob Bowman to the forefront; he opens this classic and then accompanies Chalk on the first bars. The Bowman lines continue to provide interesting counterpoint throughout the tune. Paul Smith’s solo reminds me of Red Garland. After a Bowman solo, Chalk weeps over Bob’s bass to close.
Chalk is almost staccato on the swinging “East of the Sun”. The exchanges at the end are not your typical “fours”: for a half chorus a unison voice and guitar trade fours with piano before Paul finishes the chorus. The following choruses are drums and guitar trading eight bar solos, with Strait’s drums taking the lead 8 rather than the more typical reverse.
Chalk has her way on each tune, from the whimsy of “Frim Fram Sauce” to the easy swing of “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me” to the closing ballad “Maybe You’ll Be There”. The supporting cast takes much credit for the success of this disc, also. They play almost as one. Strait needs little help with time, which frees Bowman to provide alternative melody lines on the bottom. Fleeman does the same thing for Bowman on “Do Nothing” with his guitar setting the pace.
This is a recommended introduction to the voice of Laura Chalk.
- Roger Atkinson, JAM Magazine, June/July 2004
Vocalist Laura Chalk is beginning a long Tuesday and Wednesday stay at the Fairmont. The evening that I caught her with Paul Smith on piano, Steve Rigazzi on bass, and Tim Cambron on drums, I noted that her playbook is ever expanding. Highlights included some nice vocalese on “Boplicity” and “Summertime,” which she took in a swing tempo, faster than we usually hear it. Laura continues to take chances with melody and timing, and it usually works.
- Roger Atkinson, JAM Magazine, August/September 2005
You do one of THE best versions of So Many Stars I have ever heard….in fact there is not a bad tune on the album.
- Eric Cohen, Music Director, WAER Jazz 88, Syracuse, NY
Laura and I played one gig together and it was instant simpatico. She has the gift for conveying the true meaning of a lyric, and is equally at home with swing, ballads, blues and Brasilian grooves. She has a delightful sound & sophisticated sense of phrasing and time feel. When she asked me to arrange and produce her first CD, I was excited and honored. Laura brought in a group of musicians who have worked together for years and it felt so comfortable that we got all the basic tracks down in one day! Quite rare. She has been a joy to work with. I know that you will enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed laying it down.
- Danny Embrey
