Kathy Kosins Vintage CD

Kathy Kosins has a fine expressive voice and she is joined by a top-notch sextet, but the real star of this set are the songs, which are mostly both very obscure and superior. When was the last time King Pleasure's "Tomorrow Is Another Day," "Tiptoe Gently" (recorded by Carmen McRae in the 1950s), Russ Garcia's "Go Slow," or Bobby Troup's "Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast" were performed? The closest songs to standards on this set are Cy Coleman's "When in Rome," the early-'30s Depression tune "Penthouse Serenade," Victor Young's "You're a Heavenly Thing," and "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," and those tunes are given fresh arrangements. All of the musicians play well, with guitarist Peter Bernstein often taking honors. Throughout the date, Kosins shows versatility, always swings, and uplifts each of the obscurities, making this a particularly memorable outing. ~ Scott Yanow

Recording information: Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY.

Personnel: Kathy Kosins (vocals); John Ellis , John MacArthur Ellis (woodwinds); Aaron Goldberg (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Reuben Rogers (bass instrument); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Jeremy Pelt (flugelhorn); Eric Harland (drums).

Liner Note Author: Will Friedwald.

JazzTimes (p.79) - "Kosins decided to unearth buried treasures. The most intriguing of these nuggets is the once wildly popular, but now rarely heard, '30s chestnut 'Penthouse Serenade'..."