Memphis-born Williamson gets solid support on her debut release from a lineup that features pianist Helen Sung, bassist Christian Bausch, drummer Ron Savage, and, on seven of twelve numbers, trumpeter Phil Grenadier. Along with the title cut, which serves as parentheses for the other tunes, Williamson sings “Love Is Here to Stay,” “Blue Skies,” “Wail,” “If You Could See Me Now,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” and one of her own compositions, “Sayang.” The Stevie Wonder tune “Overjoyed” has a nice trumpet solo by Grenadier, and on “Wail” his trumpet and Williamson’s scatting are heard in unison on the song’s intro and close. “My Shining Hour” and “Blue Skies” have liberal scatting as well. “Blue Skies” gives pianist Sung a chance to shine, and she’s effective as well on “If You Could See Me Now.” Williamson’s voice is warm and satisfying, conveying feeling on ballads, such as “P.S. I Love You,” and negotiating brisk tempos with ease.
Patrice Williamson: My Shining Hour
JazzTimes may earn a small commission if you buy something using one of the retail links in our articles. JazzTimes does not accept money for any editorial recommendations. Read more about our policy here. Thanks for supporting JazzTimes.
