Lyn Stanley - Tribute to 1924: Jazz Standards Reimagined in a Centennial Celebration
(A.T. Music, 2025)
Lyn Stanley has chosen a narrow sliver of the jazz canon, The Great American Songbook, and drilled deep into its rich loam of material with crack musicians and the best in audio engineering to secure the most punctilious sonic fidelity achievable. With that approach as her foundation, Stanley adds an artistic level to her recordings in their production by introducing a nascent theme or argument that integrates the material chosen for the recording into a unified whole.
While this approach is clear in all of Stanley’s recordings, it is most visible in Potions (From The ‘50s), London Calling: A Toast to Julie London, and London With A Twist: Live at Bernie’s. The singer reached a pinnacle of sorts, regarding this savvy integration with Novel Noël (A Jingle Cool Jazz Celebration), where, alongside the traditional secular and sacred Christmas music, she expands the holiday canon with several very appropriate additions from the Great American Songbook (what is a better holiday song than “Moonlight In Vermont”)?
Stanley drops a level deeper in themes, focusing on a single year, 1924. In music alone, the year is notable. Max Roach, Sarah Vaughan, and Bud Powell were born, while Ferruccio Busoni, Gabriel Fauré, and Giacomo Puccini died. Paul Whiteman brings jazz to the concert stage, at Aeolian Hall in New York City with “Livery Stable Blues” and the premier of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Louis Armstrong leaves the Joe King Oliver Band to join Fletcher Henderson, and Bix Beiderbecke and the Wolverines make their first record, “Figity Feet.” But the year belonged to George and Ira Gershwin, who makes three appearances on Tribute To 1924, followed by Irving Berlin, Isham Jones, and Gus Kahn.
Stanley markets this collection as a reimagining of this vintage of songwriting, putting a modern spin on these storied compositions. The singer assembled a notable septet comprising pianist Mike Garson, bassist Chuck Berghofer, guitarist John Chiodini, drummer Aaron Serfaty making up the rhythm section with percussionist Luis Conte, tenor saxophonist Rickey Woodward, and harmonicist Hendrik Meurkens. Engineer Allen Sides expertly spaces these instruments, placing Stanley in the middle while long-time Stanley associate Bernie Grundman mastered the complete package.
The result is a warm and spacious sonic environment that, by some magic, has no instruments bleeding on to others of the singer. Everyone inhabits their own sonic space. That is the ground floor of sound. Stanley’s band represents a certain synergistic tonal compliance and cooperation. Airy and light, the music made by this ensemble provides Stanley a soft upon which to lay her solid alto voice. Of the Gershwin contributions, Stanley approaches “Fascinating Rhythm” as a swinging Latin beat broken up with straight time in four. Garson solos orchestrally leaving no key un-struck. Chiodini and Meurkens fold in tasty eights, bringing the song to a complete realization. Conte’s congas continue the lilting Latin vibe on “Somebody Loves Me,” demonstrating his indispensable contributions to the record. Saxophonist Woodward provides a generous two-chorus solo giving the piece a vamp touch.
Stanley sings the Ager-Yellen-Bigelow novelty, “Hard Hearted Hannah” with robust brio, sounding as if she is enjoying every note. “The Man I Love” has long been associated with Stanley. She calls it a “signature song” and she treats it as such. Her performance here, supported delicately by Chiodini, is a study in tonal shading. Stanley sings plaintively, as if having a sweet memory in a dream. Irving Berlin’s “What’ll I Do” hints at a confusion undone by the singer’s confidence and aplomb.
Stanley’s “Tea For Two” strolling and slightly bluesy, stands in sharp contrast to Anita O’Day’s incendiary performance of the Youman-Caesar classic at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival captured in Jazz On A Summer’s Day (George Avakian, 1959). She turns the old melody into a seductive ballad of late night bars, fancy cars, old and gold served neat.Irving Berlin’s “All Alone” sports a slow funk treatment propelled by the sure hand of Berghofer. Meurkens’ harmonica seasons the song with conflicting images that intermingle with Chiodini’s interrogating guitar parts.
In Tribute To 1924, Lyn Stanley shows the durability and emotional reach of these old songs, making them new and accessible to yet another generation waiting to be enchanted and entertained by them. In doing so, she has done us all a favor of reminding us the difference between good and exceptional.
Discography
Lost In Romance (A.T. Music LLC, 2013)
Potions (From The ‘50s) (A.T. Music LLC, 2014)
Interludes (A.T. Music LLC, 2015)
The Moonlight Sessions, Volume 1 (A.T. Music LLC, 2017)
The Moonlight Sessions, Volume 2 (A.T. Music LLC, 2017)
London Calling: A Toast To Julie London (A.T. Music LLC, 2018)
London With A Twist - Live At Bernie’s (A.T. Music LLC, 2019)
Lyn Stanley With Her Big Band Jazz Mavericks—Novel Noël (A Jingle Cool Jazz Celebration) (A.T. Music LLC, 2022)
Black Dress Ballads (A.T. Music LLC, 2024)
Tribute To 1924 (A.T. Music LLC, 2025)