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Karrin Grooves Catalina's
04 JUN 09 ANNE FARNSWORTH
Concord recording artist Karrin Allyson appeared in Los Angeles at Catalina's, to support her Grammy-nominated release, Imagina: Songs Of Brasil (which was reviewed here). Joining her for the weeklong date were three of L.A.'s finest jazz musicians -- guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Tom Warrington and Ray Brinker on drums.
When she took the stage and launched into "A Felicidade," the first of several selections from Imagina, the chilly temperature outside was forgotten and a tropical haze took over the room. As she sang in perfectly accented Brazilian Portuguese, Allyson played a sophisticated rhythm with a small shaker, adding another layer to her trio's groove.
Speaking of grooves, although much has been written about the creamy warmth of her voice, what sets Allyson apart from other singers is her interest in rhythmic variety. When asking for audience requests, she said, almost to herself, "I'm looking for grooves, not particular songs."
Outside of the Brazilian tunes, the non-Latin selections veered away from the standard swing or ballad format. Her ballads had either slow bossa, jazz-waltz or shuffle feels. Joni Mitchell's "All I Want" was a mellow samba. Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Long As You're Living" (from her In Blue album) is in 5/4 time.
Halfway through her set, she sat at the piano and played, making it easier to set up the rhythms for the band to follow. She's a respectable pianist as well as a stellar vocalist and, dare I say, a pretty "groovy" chick. Find out for yourself. Check out her new release By Request: The Best Of Karrin Allyson.
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A Felicidade (Happiness)
Karrin Allyson, from Imagina: Songs of ...
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Long As You're Living
Karrin Allyson, from In Blue
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Hana
Joni Mitchell, from Shine
in this playlist.
