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Look To the Sky [Allan Vach]

Allan Vach
1 disc

1. For Once in My Life
2. Didn't We
3. Samba de Orfeu
4. Long Ago and Far Away
5. My Shining Hour
6. Moanin' Low
7. So Many Stars
8. Bye, Bye Blues
9. Blues for Kenny
10. Someone to Light Up My Life
11. Our Love Is Here to Stay
12. Alfie
13. Comes Love
14. Look to the Sky
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): ARCD19396
Credits

Producer Allan Vache; Charlie Bertini
Engineer Kendall Thompson; Mike Hurley
Personnel: Allan Vach (clarinet); Tammy Georgine (vocals); Bob Leary (guitar); Laura Leary, Lisa Ferrigno (violin); Shelley Mathews (viola); Norma Huff (cello); Nicole Scott (flute); Vanessa Vach (clarinet, bass clarinet); Joanne Pherigo (oboe); Lisa Waite (bassoon); David Atchison (French horn); Jeff Phillips (piano); Ed Metz, Jr. (drums).
Audio Mixers: Veit Renn; Charlie Bertini.
Liner Note Authors: John Pizzarelli; Allan Vach.
Recording information: Lone Pine Studios, Orlando, FL (03/21/2010); Starke Lake Studios, Orlando, FL (03/21/2010); Lone Pine Studios, Orlando, FL (11/10/2009-11/11/2009); Starke Lake Studios, Orlando, FL (11/10/2009-11/11/2009).
Since leaving the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, Allan Vach has thrived in his solo career, leading a number of record dates. These sessions are a bit of a change, in that the clarinetist doesn't stick exclusively to standards and jazz compositions, while several tracks add an orchestra (combining a horn quintet with a string quartet). The core band includes pianist Jeff Phillips, guitarist Bob Leary, bassist Charlie Silva, and drummer Ed Metz. Vach leads the band through breezy arrangements of "For Once in My Life" and "Bye, Bye, Blues," with the musicians displaying an energy that gives it the feeling of a performance at a jazz party instead of in the studio. Vach's "Blues for Kenny," a tribute to the late clarinetist Kenny Davern, is an infectious New Orleans-flavored number with the leader's wife Vanessa adding harmony on bass clarinet, along with a delicious understated solo. The orchestra is included on six selections, among them a dreamy take of the 1960s pop song "Didn't We" and a richly textured rendition of "Alfie" (long a favorite of jazz musicians). There are also several Brazilian songs, including the brisk, infectious interpretation of "Someone to Light Up My Life" and the lush "So Many Stars." Vocalist Tammy Georgine is added for a sensitive treatment of "Moanin' Low" and a gently swinging "Our Love Is Here to Stay." This diverse outing is among Allan Vach's finest efforts. ~ Ken Dryden
Critic Reviews

JazzTimes (p.62) - "The repertoire is fairly stimulating, containing some warhorses from the Great American Songbook..."