HANNAH GILL

SPOOKY JAZZ VOL. 3

Turtle Bay Records

Hannah Gill, vocals; Justin Poindexter, guitar; Gordon Webster, piano; Philip Ambuel, bass; Ben Zweig, drums; Gabe Terracciano, violin; Ricky Alexander, clarinet/saxophone; Danny Jonokuchi, trumpet/theremin/slide whistle/ arranger.

Hannah Gill is back with her Halloween mood music.  She combines smooth vocals with darkly ominous, sometimes whimsical words and music that we may not have thought of as ‘spooky,’ like the familiar “Old Devil Moon.”  Gill vocally swings this one and so does arranger, trumpeter Danny Jonokuchi.  Gordon Webster takes a noteworthy solo on piano. While performing this classic tune, plucked from ‘Finian’s Rainbow,’ it’s a song that’s been covered by many iconic jazz musicians, like Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker and Miles Davis.  When Hannah Gill sings it, she makes it clear that she may be dedicating this album to the season of goblins, ghouls and ghost stories, but this singer is an honest and true jazz artist.

Her voice and her ability to swing and even sing the blues is evident on the tune, “The Richest Guy in the Graveyard.”  It’s another delivery that clearly crowns Gill as a serious jazz vocalist.

In the wink of an eye, Gill changes the mood with her sexy rendition of “Moon Ray.” It’s an Artie Shaw classic she has arranged as a dark, haunting, ballad, adding Gabe Terracciano on violin and a steel guitar solo by Justin Poindexter.  The Jonokuchi arrangement is quite imaginative.

I wish Turtle Bay Records had listed the composers of these songs.  Some I have never heard before and I was interested in who wrote those tunes.  As a published songwriter myself, I find it troubling that no mention of these composers is made on the album cover. Along with registry, the time and the publisher names are what determines songwriter compensation. So, I am puzzled why these credits are invisible.  For example, her rendition of “As Long As You Live (You’ll Be Dead if You Die)” is not only a unique title, but offers an engaging lyric for Hannah to deliver. Who wrote that?

“I’m Gonna Haunt Ya” is a tune where Hannah Gill layers her voice like the Andrew Sisters, using warm harmonies to deliver an up-tempo arrangement, and giving drummer Ben Zweig an opportunity to soak up the spotlight during his energetic drum solo. Gill also introduced me to the Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey composition “My Friend the Ghost” as a mid-tempo’d swing tune, with sound effects that paint a picture of a scary, haunted-house kind of night. Another gem was once sung by actress Betty Hutton.  This one is titled “He’s a Demon, He’s a Devil, He’s a Doll.”

If you are looking for a distinctive, creative project that embraces the Halloween holiday, Gill uses unusual songs, unique lyrics, and arrangements that celebrate a night of tricks and treats, to entertain you!  But it’s not all sinister and perennial.  Hannah Gill is quite serious about singing. Her vocals will please and pleasure you way past Halloween.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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