Love On The Tyrrhenian Review

by Michael Doherty's Music Log
Brief Notes On New Jazz Releases

Vocalist and composer CeCe Gable’s new album features most covers, along with a couple of original compositions. It opens with one of the original numbers, the album’s title track, which CeCe Gable wrote with Corky Brumble. This track has a strong rhythm, and it takes us to a different time and place, as she sings in the song’s first line, “Once upon a summertime when we were young and free.” From her delivery, it doesn’t seem all that long ago, and least not in her mind, her heart. “Two lovers walking hand in hand, with no one else to please/As we sail into the world with all these memories.” It’s the kind of scene we all imagine for ourselves, isn’t it? Scenes we wish we had in our past, or, even better, in our near future. The music makes it feel possible. CeCe Gable keeps us in that general area of the world with “The Riviera,” a song originally recorded by Mabel Mercer and also by Blossom Dearie. She conveys the excitement and romance of the place with her vocal approach. And I love that little “Ooh la  la” she tosses in halfway through. We remain on the water with the next track, “Little Boat,” a song that Peggy Lee recorded. “Bouncing merrily along,” CeCe Gable sings, and the rhythm then has that feel. And the song, like this album’s first track, mentions “paradise,” helping to transport us and set the mood. She also adds some sweet-sounding scat partway through. Bill Hecht delivers some nice work on piano. “You And The Night And The Music” contains some absolutely wonderful guitar work by Akio Sasajima, and also one of the album’s best vocal performances. CeCe Gable is just completely delicious here. And check out that bass work by Harvie S. Everything comes together perfectly to make this track one of the highlights of the album. And it is followed by another highlight, “Small Today Tomorrow.” CeCe Gable presents a cool rendition that features another excellent vocal performance, as well as some nice work on piano by John Shipley and on guitar by Angelo Earl. CeCe’s delivery of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” has an intimate quality. The energy then rises on “Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home,” which has a fun vibe. You can hear the smile in CeCe’s delivery. “I’ll See You In C-U-B-A” contains another of this album’s outstanding vocal performances. CeCe Gable does a phenomenal job on this one. And I love the drum work by Tony Savage. The album concludes with its second original composition, “Once Again It’s Winter,” which, like the opening track, was written by CeCe Gable and Corky Brumble. Akio Sasajima provides some sweet work on guitar. “Now and then I wonder aloud/If the things that matter the most/Are only fleeting moments in time.” This album was released on May 24, 2024.