Tom Lellis Double Entendre CD

Tom Lellis decided to call this 1991 release Double Entendre because the CD marked many "doubles." It was his second album, it marked the second time he was backed by bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette, and it found him doubling as a stand-up singer and a sit-down singer/pianist. Lellis provides acoustic piano or electric piano on most of the material, although Allen Farnham takes over the piano duties on a few tunes. In a sense, it's regrettable that Double Entendre is Lellis' second album -- by 1991 (when he turned 45), the singer should have built a large catalog. But unfortunately, many jazz labels had overlooked Lellis when they should have been waging an all-out bidding war. This sophomore album not only makes good on the promise of Lellis' first album, And in This Corner, it finds him becoming even more confident and assured but no less risk-taking. Lellis really soars on Bronislaw Kaper's haunting "Invitation," but much to his credit, the Cleveland native doesn't devote all of his time to well-known lyrics. He also provides memorable lyrics for Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" and Chick Corea's "Times Lie," both of which have usually been heard as instrumentals. And four of the tunes are Lellis originals, including the laid-back "L.A. Nights," the moody "Eerie Autumn," and the very sociopolitical, pro-feminist "E.R.A." (which slams those who had opposed the Equal Rights Amendment in the '80s). Lellis doesn't write a lot of political lyrics -- he is usually more concerned with romantic or spiritual matters -- but "E.R.A." is something that he obviously needed to get off his chest. All of Lellis' albums are worth owning, but Double Entendre is arguably his best, most essential release. ~ Alex Henderson

"A gifted persuasive vocalist with impressive strength. On "Double Entendre" Gomez and DeJohnette surpass their role as sidemen, producing a brilliant fusion of styles between the three musicians, largely due to Lellis' sophisticated versatility as both vocalist and pianist. Tom Lellis should fascinate not only vocal fans, but instrumental fans, thus producing an ideal vocal form. What a treat it would be to hear this band live."Jazzlife, Tokyo, Japan "An extremely rare breed of artist. Music fit for a serious listening jazz club. This talented man's work cannot be ignored."Swing Journal, Tokyo TOM LELLIS, voice, piano, keyboardsEDDIE GOMEZ, bassJACK DEJOHNETTE, drumsALLEN FARNHAM, piano, keyboardsTOM LELLISTom Lellis began singing professionally at the age of 15 in Cleveland, Ohio. By age 21 he was the house singer at the5th largest nightclub in the U.S. (Three Rivers Inn , Syracuse NY) with a big band on bills with Ray Charles and Gregory Hines and later in clubs across the U.S. His debut album on Inner City Records in 1981 became a fixture in London jazz discos and featured world-class musicians, drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Eddie Gomez. Double Entendre, also with these musicians, was released in 1991 in the U.S. and in Japan where the press sighted him as rare and gifted and for "producing an ideal vocal form." With the release of his 1993 Concord recording Taken to Heart, Tom expanded to Brazilian music. The collaboration with guitarist and composer, Toninho Horta resulted in "Mountain Flight" which was further published in the Latin Real Book and CD. Two more Horta/Lellis works are published in the All Jazz Real Book (Sher Music) from the CD Southern Exposure. Concord's Jazz By The Fire CD, released in 2000, features Tom. He was voted to the Down Beat International Critic's Poll and Reader Poll and dubbed by numerous writers and critics, "a triple threat". Singing Jazz, The Singers and their Styles (Miller-Freeman) contains his quotes. Tom has taught as Guest Professor of Vocal Jazz at Arts and Music University in Graz, Austria. Tom's release, "Skylark" was named "Top Jazz Vocal CD of 2002" by the International Association of Jazz Education Journal. "Skylark", Tom's live recorded