JENNIFER MADSEN

GIRL TALK

SingBaby Productions, LLC

Jennifer Madsen, vocals.

Jennifer Madsen has one of those big Broadway voices.  She is accompanied by a jazz band and joined by a number of special guest artists. The vocalist puts her stamp on eleven familiar pop and jazz tunes, opening with “Bésame Mucho” followed by “Girl Talk” where she joins the saxophone solo briefly to scat along with David Halliday. who puts the “J” in jazz during his delicious saxophone solo.

She covers a Lambert, Hendrix and Ross standard from 1959, “Comin’ Home Baby.”  It was also part of their “The Hottest New Group in Jazz” album and it’s based in the blues.  Madsen puts her own mark on the tune, with great horn arrangements blaring harmoniously in the background. Brent Edstrom is the dynamic arranger on this project.  He also plays piano and keyboards on this production.

Madsen also covers a Cy Coleman tune Blossom Dearie recorded called “You Turn Me On, Baby.”  Great trumpeter Sean Jones adds his trumpet magic to the production.

You will also hear her take on “You and the Night and the Music” and old standards like “Misty,” “My Funny Valentine” (surprisingly produced with a deep funk groove), and the pop hits “Look of Love” and “Spinning Wheel.”

Jennifer Madsen refurbishes these familiar songs with her own artistic identity. Her voice leans heavily towards a Broadway stage style, but I hear her sincerity and connection with each lyric.

THE BAND: Brent Edstrom, piano/keyboards/arranger; Clipper Anderson, bass; Mark Ivester, drums; Ronnie Strauss, percussion; Corey Christiansen, guitar; Austie Robeinson & Tom Young, trumpets; Daniel Burt & Joe Chisholm, trombone; David Halliday & Randal Clark, saxophones; Candido Abeyta, baritone sax. GUEST ARTISTS: Jeff Coffin, Ryan Keberle, Sean Jones, Brent Edstrom, David Halliday, Corey Christiansen & Brian Woodbury.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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