Jazz Critic Scott Yanow
For her third release Born to Be Blue, Solitaire utilizes some of Chicago's top jazz musicians, all of whom have
the flexibility to sound at home in a swing combo. “Willie Pickens is always my first choice on piano,” says the
singer. “I love working with him because he is not just accompanying me, we listen closely and challenge each
other.” A few of the numbers feature pianist Joe Vito who was Johnny Frigo's regular accompanist for years.
Some selections include tenor-saxophonist Jim Gailloreto, while the versatile trumpeter Art Davis is heard
Born to Be Blue begins with “Baltimore Oriole” which composer Hoagy Carmichael performed in the Humphrey
Bogart movie “To Have and Have Not". “It's a quirky song with a period feeling.” Solitaire says. The haunting
vocal and concise solos by Pickens and Davis perfectly fit Carmichael's unusual tale. “Too Close For Comfort” is
associated with several singers from the 1950s including Ella Fitzgerald, but Larry Kohut's arrangement,
which begins as a duet by Solitaire with drummer Phil Gratteau, puts a new spin on the standard.
One particular joy of this CD is hearing a lot of fresh material, and vintage songs that deserve to be revived.
“Born to Be Blue” is one of Mel Torme's best originals while “You've Got to Crawl Before You Walk” was the
only tune co-written by Torme and Duke Ellington. “Detour Ahead” was Johnny Frigo's most famous original, so
it naturally features Joe Vito on piano and is a tribute to the violinist and Jim Gailloreto contributes a tasteful
solo to this emotional version. Since she wanted to record several obscure songs that the musicians weren't too
familiar with, Solitaire added “Lover Come Back to Me." "It's the type of jam session tune that we play late at
night, an up-tempo number that lets everyone stretch out.”
It isn’t often that one gets to hear such superior, if forgotten numbers as Artie Shaw’s “Moon Ray”, which has
prominent roles for bassist Joe Policastro and guitarist Andy Brown, or “Make With the Kisses” which features
Art Davis and guitarist Neal Alger, and is a delightful romp that has rarely been performed since Mildred Bailey
recorded it with Benny Goodman 70 years ago. One can easily imagine Billie Holiday performing "Midnight
Blue." which features more ingenious improvising by Art Davis. Most unusual is “Serenade de Clair de Lune,” a
version of Glenn Miller's theme song “Moonlight Serenade” sung in French. Joe Vito adds to the cafe atmosphere
by switching to accordion with Neal Alger strumming on acoustic guitar. Other songs include “I'll Never Be the
Same,” and the charming “Me and the Moon” a sweet band favorite which was originally recorded by the Hal
Kemp Orchestra in 1933.
Throughout this project Solitaire and her musicians are not content to merely recreate the past but are creative
within the style, adding to the music's legacy. While Solitaire can name a long list of influences, not the least of
which was her Grandmother, she does not sound exactly like any of the singers who preceded her. Nor do her
sidemen sacrifice their own individuality while doing justice to the material. Instead, they all fully understand
the music and are able to add their own voices to the songs while being themselves.
This delightful set not only proves that there is still plenty of life to be found in swing tunes, but it features
Solitaire Miles at her very best, taking her place as one of the top swing singers around today.