Devorah Day Light Of Day CD

Recorded in 1999 but not released until four years later, Light of Day is the slyly titled debut by Devorah Day, a New York-based jazz singer who gets not merely musical but liner note support from Marion Brown, noted among other efforts for his work with John Coltrane on Ascension. Brown's enthusiastic words about Day resembling both Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald may seem like well-meaning hype, but a listen to the disc shows that it's not an ill-founded comparison at all. With a warm, casual approach to her singing evident throughout -- she is as apt to not sing as she is to step up, and even on her own compositions like "Come Closer" it's predominantly the accompaniment that is heard -- she's not yet the equal of those giants but squarely falls in the tradition. Generally her tone is on the higher and sometimes lighter side, but she can certainly belt when she needs to -- and often saves it for the right moment, as when on "Lover Man" she suddenly cuts loose with a bit of throaty sass. "Dindi," a cover of an Antonio Carlos Jobim number, is even more striking, a full solo turn by her that's wonderful listening. The backing is an inspired mix, with a total of three sax players and one bassist being very much equal participants with Day in the performances -- they sound perfectly right for each other at just about all points. Given Brown's own work with ESP in the '60s, there's something of the same feeling of that label here as a result -- Light of Day is a recording to please the performers rather than the perceived market (the bit of chatter between "Our Bit of Piddling" and "Lover Man" quietly reinforces that). ~ Ned Raggett

Originally released as a self produced CD-R, Abaton Book Company is pleased to announce the official release of "Light of Day", the debut CD by avant jazz vocalist Devorah Day. Although Ms. Day is little known in the current jazz scene, her stature is undeniable to those who have seen her perform or heard the underground tapes in circulation. Her fans understand that this release should be seen as the most important jazz vocal album of the decade because Day is heir apparent to the fortunes set aside by Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone and Jeanne Lee.

With her highly unorthodox line up of voice, triple saxophone, and bass, Devorah Day has constructed a multi-layered yet minimalistic statement, a subtly hued tone poem. Her phrasing has few limitations as she chases her own tale by leaps and bounds through gray skies, toward greener pastures.

Light of Day has much in common with classic titles produced by ESP-Disk', the adventurous 1960s avant-garde label that released two records by Day's accompanist, Marion Brown. Here Brown, the legendary saxophonist who played on John Coltrane's Ascension, gives his most transcendental performance in many a year.

This CD will be of interest to admirers of female vocalists, and to an aware jazz audience in general.

Liner Note Author: Marion Brown.

Recording information: New York, NY (10/28/1999).

Personnel: Devorah Day, Kid Lucky (vocals); Jorge Sylvester, Booker T. (alto & tenor saxophone); Marion Brown (alto saxophone); David Colding (bass).

Personnel: Jorge Sylvester, Booker T. Jones (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Marion Brown (alto saxophone).