When Herb Boyd, author and jazz critic, listened to Dennis Day's new jazz CD, "All Things in Time," this is what he wrote:
When a vocalist, particularly an African-American male singer, is confident enough to record songs so strongly associated with Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Nat “King” Cole, and Sammy Davis, Jr., you question his bravado and wait to listen to the result of such audacity.
Dennis Day is not afraid of the challenge, and if he doesn’t completely wrest the tunes from their progenitors, he puts his unique stamp and vibrato on a few of these standards from the American songbook.
What stands out most with this Harlem-based singer is his versatility. Day’s pleasant baritone, with dollops of second-tenor silkiness, is as warm and inviting on ballads as it is bouncy and exciting on the up-tempo tunes. From the opening, “Caravan,” you have embarked on a global excursion of melodies with touches of Brazil, Africa, the Mississippi Delta, London, and delightful forays into those evergreens of Tin Pan Alley.
On “All Things in Time,” his first jazz CD, Day is backed by some of the finest musicians one can summon, including pianist Danny Mixon, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, trumpeter Joey Morant, pianist John DiMartino, and vibist Stefon Harris. Day’s version of “Everything Must Change” is a perfect showcase for his range and interpretive skills, and together with the obbligato from the flutist Cleave Guyton, the song provides an irresistible charm that moves the listener to a wistful and tender comfort zone. Cue the lovers!
The lovers will also welcome Day’s lilting sway on “Desafinado” and his mellifluous swing on “Taking a Chance on Love,” which is accentuated by his choice of some rarely sung lyrics. In these songs, texture, sensitivity, and lyrical interpretation combine, affirming that, indeed, old wine in new kegs can indeed prove savory, even after scores of covers. Hopefully the jazz gods smile approvingly. Day’s passion for words is no surprise for a musician who is also a very fine writer and whose byline used to grace the pages of New York City’s Amsterdam News.
But Day should not even think about banging out those articles anymore. By putting those words to music, he has truly found his métier as well as his meter, whether on novelty tunes like his haunting original ballad “African Musing” or on the folkloristic cover, “Trouble Down Here Below.”
After the lovers have expended their romantic inclinations, Day has a few spirited numbers to get them to resume their romp around the globe, but they had better hurry, because the singer is a veritable will o’ wisp on “The Trolley Song,” which segues neatly into “Get Me to the Church on Time,” attenuated by the ebullient, high-energy be bop staccato musings of Ellington orchestra alumnus trumpeter James Zollar.
Day’s “Blues Medley” treatment echoes deep roots in Chicago and southern musical influences. Framed by his relaxed, lyrical style, the song is accented with stellar blues riffs of veteran guitarist Melvin Sparks and capped by a foot-stompin’ piano solo from Danny Mixon.
This repertoire of jazz and blues is a veritable potpourri, shifting in mood, timbre, and musical intensity. Bright moments and surprising musical departures are in full play in Day’s melodious presentation of narratives. The Horace Silver classic “Sister Sadie” offers a buoyant playfulness captured by the masterful sliding moans and wails of New Orleans trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. The facile trumpet solos of Joey Morant, an alumnus of Ray Charles’ band, complete the blues segments of the CD. Pianist John Miller, an early musical director in Day’s inaugural New York City-based groups, adds tasteful accompaniments on old favorites like “Hallelujah I Love Her So” and he and the soulful sax of Jason Curry ably embellish the standard “You Are Too Beautiful.”
Other notable musicians rounding out Day’s jazz recording debut include bassist Lisle Atkinson, who provides a lilting bass solo on the ballad “Who Can I Turn To,” bassist Eric Lemon, and Latin percussionist Willie Martinez. Versatile drummer Earl Grice appears on all 12 tracks, ensuring that “All Things in Time” stays in time.
Yes, Day’s debut jazz CD pays homage to those singers he admires. But this is his moment, and it’s a good chance this isn’t the last time we’ll hear from him. How about “Night and Day?” Now, there’s a tune that fits him to a tee, one he can really turn to.
Dennis Day’s New CD by Herb Boyd (Special to the Amsterdam News)
Vol 99 No. 20 May 8 – May 14, 2008
Dennis Day is a veteran singer who has performed with the best for years. A native of East Chicago, Indiana, Day began singing at the age of five in church. As a teenager, he formed his first singing group, The Valiants, and signed with the Gary, Indiana-based label Steeltown Records, where his label mates included the Jackson Five and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Dells.
While attending Fisk University, Day toured with the famed University choir and also became a regular demo recording artist on Nashville’s legendary Music Row, styling songs for numerous Country & Western recording stars and popular artists. In the late 1960s, as lead singer of the Nashville-based vocal group Dino and the Dynamics (later a.k.a. The Jades), Day recorded “My Loss Your Gain,” a sultry Rhythm & Blues ballad that garnered national exposure and a bullet on Bill Board Magazine.
After completing his studies in the Music City, Day earned a Masters Degree from the University of Chicago before moving to Washington DC. In the early 1980s, he collaborated with Grammy nominees the Blackbyrds, founded by Dr. Donald Byrd. The group featured Day as an occasional lead vocalist and background singer when they appeared in clubs and venues around the Capitol region. Later, Day formed the Dennis Llewellyn Day Trio and performed frequently in popular Jazz venues throughout the nation’s capitol.
In 1984, Day made his New York City debut at the Presbyterian Jazz Society, appearing with saxophonist/composer Frank Foster, former conductor of the Count Basie Orchestra. He was then one of six vocalists selected by the venerable Blue Note Jazz club in New York City to headline its Jazz Vocalist Workshop Series and has continued to appear in numerous venues, including Jazz clubs, festivals, and concerts. Day has also studied Jazz performance at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, where he was presented in an acclaimed student recital along with fellow conservatory prodigies, pianist Eric Lewis and vibraphonist Stefon Harris.
Day’s recordings include Dennis Day For Only You, which features several of Day’s original compositions, and a newly released Smooth Jazz single (vocal and instrumental versions) of his original tune, Sunday Morning Sunshine, which features sax duets from T.K. Blue and the late Art Porter, Jr. Dennis’s latest project, All Things in Time is a true musical tour d ’force in jazz vocal standards and includes an original haunting composition, “African Musing,” scheduled for release in Summer 2007.
Herb Boyd, noted author, jazz critic for Downbeat Magazine, and staff writer for the New York Amsterdam News writes, “Dennis Day is a versatile song stylist who possesses an easy, distinctive, melodious style reminiscent of greats like Brooke Benton, Marvin Gaye, and the Platters’ legendary lead singer, Tony Williams. But Day’s best moments are reserved for his own mellow phrasing, and judging by his debut CD For Only You, he has an obvious gift for composition, too.”
Day was one of 12 finalists in the 2007 Jazzmobile Best of the Best International Jazz Vocal Competition in New York City.
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