1. What the World Needs Now is Love
2. I Want to be Happy
3. Moon Song
4. Groove Merchant
5. Slipped Disc
6. Cry Me a River
7. I Could Have Danced All Night
8. Jo-House Blues
9. Old Folks
10. I Am Woman
Sherrie Maricle – Leader, drums
Jami Dauber – Trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet
Janelle Reichman – Tenor sax, clarinet
Tomoko Ohno – Piano
Noriko Ueda – Bass
Five Play is a small group
from the celebrated Diva Jazz Orchestra and
anybody in doubt whether the ladies can jazz
with the best should listen to this fascinating
album. What is really great to me about this
band is that they take on all comers in the
swinging jazz world. The only all-ladies'
bands I have heard in the UK play weird stuff,
so of course it is impossible to make comparisons.
Sure I have heard some great female jazzers
- Kathy Stobart and Betty Smith immediately
spring to mind - but not complete groups.
What the World Needs Now
is taken at 4/4 instead of the usual 3/4 and
makes the transposition in time well. I
Want to be Happy gets some new clothes
and Jami Dauber plays some Ruby Braff-like
cornet on Moon Song. Groove Merchant
really swings: Sherrie Maricle is a great
drummer in the Mel Lewis tradition; it is
not possible to give higher praise.
Slipped Disc is a
feature for Janelle Reichman on clarinet and
in just a few bars you realise that she is
just as competent on that instrument as on
tenor sax. The sleeve note says the last chorus
taken at exceptional high speed is in B, sooner
Janelle than me!
Cry Me a River is
one of the great ballads and this is one of
the great performances. I Could Have Danced
All Night demonstrates the amazing talents
of pianist Tomoko Ohno who hails originally
from Japan but is now a regular member of
the band. The same is true of fine bassist
Noriko Uedo. Jo House is a blues composition,
written by Toshiko Akiyoshi. The band really
goes to town on this one; everyone is featured
and everyone plays well.
Old Folks has been
a popular jazz ballad for a long time, but
the melody is not often played by the bass
player, and she makes a significant contribution
on this track. The last track, I Am Woman,
the sleeve note suggests might be Hilary Clinton’s
inaugural theme song. In hindsight we know
that this is not going to happen and I would
say to these ladies: stay with jazz and keep
away from politicians. With this CD you have
given a straight answer to any questions people
may have with regard to women in jazz. That’s
something you will never get from any politician!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
Arbors
Records ARCD 19381
