Deborah Cox Destination Moon CD

Contemporary R&B singer Deborah Cox mixed things up a bit with her 2007 release, DESTINATION MOON. Instead of the artist's usual commercially tailored dance-pop, DESTINATION MOON is a tip of the hat to old-school legend Dinah Washington. Cox claims to be deeply influenced by Washington, and a fan since she was a young girl.

Cox borrows songs from across Washington's oeuvre and, with the help of top-shelf arranger Rob Mounsey, takes them for a heartfelt test drive. Naturally, Washington classics like "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "This Bitter Earth" sound quite different with Cox on the mic--her clean, elastic voice is almost the polar opposite of Washington's textured tone--but the album is elegantly assembled and makes for a compelling listen for Cox and Washington fans alike.

Recording information: 333 Studio, NY; Avatar Studios, New York, NY; Legacy Studios.

Photographer: Joanne Savio.

Arranger: Rob Mounsey.

Personnel: Deborah Cox (background vocals); Deborah Cox; Semyon Fridman, Jeanne LeBlanc, Richard Locker, Clay Ruede (cello); Liz Mann (flute); Marc Phaneuf (alto saxophone); Jeff Nelson & Covenant, Jeff Nelson (bass trombone); Lou Kosma, David Finck (bass guitar); David Spinozza (guitar); Emily Mitchell (harp); Karen Karlsrud, Rob Shaw, Eriko Sato, Kristina Musser, Abe Appleman, Barry Finclair, Karl Kawahara, Suzanne Ornstein, Jean Ingraham, Avril Brown, Katherine LiVolsi Stern, Ann Leathers (violin); Karen Dreyfus, Juliet Haffner, Jill Jaffe, Craig Mumm (viola); Virgil Blackwell (clarinet, bass clarinet); Bill Meredith (oboe, English horn); Mark Goldberg (bassoon); Dave Riekenberg (alto saxophone); Andy Snitzer, Charles Pillow (tenor saxophone); Roger Rosenberg (baritone saxophone); Alexandre Sipiaquine, Jeff Kievit, Lew Soloff, Tony Kadleck, Jim Hynes (trumpet); Peter Gordon , Stewart Rose, Bob Carlisle (French horn); Michael Boschen, John Fedchock, Birch Johnson (trombone); Rob Mounsey (piano); Victor Lewis (drums).

Audio Mixer: Elliot Scheiner.

JazzTimes (p.82) - "[Cox] serves up nakedly gorgeous interpretations that are, in their own, uniquely sleek way, both aptly and lovingly honorific."