Barbara Carroll: All in Fun

In her politely swinging tribute to Jerome Kern, pianist/singer Barbara Carroll lets us in on what she has been doing all of these years since her debut on the New York bop scene in the 1950s, when she was featured in trios both at the Downbeat Club on 52nd street and The Embers. A regular attraction at the posh Carlyle Hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for almost 20 years, Carroll has also been active in the recording studios, this latest project finding her sharing the delights of Kern with trumpeter Randy Sandke, guitarists Bucky and John Pizzarelli and Jay Berliner, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Joe Cocuzzo, among others. However separately recorded string section accompaniments were added to eight of the 14 tracks, a soft-edged compromise that may prompt some second thoughts within the jazz market regarding purchase. But the quality of both her piano and her choice of tunes, inclusive of such rarely heard gems as “Look For the Silver Lining,” “Nobody Else But Me,” “Up With the Lark” and “Let’s Begin,” just might compensate, as will also the empathetic solo contributions of Sandke and the others.

Originally Published June 1, 1997