San Francisco Bay Jazz – Johnny Smith with friends
Mark Holzinger and Chris Justin
(CD)
Sound:
B Music: C+
It is
bold to claim to be a band that encompasses San Francisco in your name, but the
new San Francisco Bay Jazz – Johnny
Smith with friends Mark Holzinger and Chris Justin CD points to that, and
although they can play, the choice of arrangements and vocals do not make me
automatically think of the city or are my favorite versions of some songs
covered.
For
instance, I’ve Got You Under My Skin is
tired enough, but this version drags it out even worse. Fly Me
To the Moon is also played out and we have heard the Sinatra version
enough, sop why anyone else thinks they can make this one their own is
surprising. I finally threw in the towel
on Come Rain Or Come Shine, an
underrated song that this version does not ass anything to.
The PCM
16bit/44.1kHz 2.0 Stereo sound is nicely recorded at least, but this is still
limited by a format that is now over a quarter-century old. The music is sincere, but just too plodding
for this critic’s tastes. Diehard Jazz
fans might still want to check into it at www.johnnysmithgroup.com for their
own edification.
- Nicholas Sheffo