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ONE WAY Recommends [Issue
#15]
Cheryl Bentyne By
Lynne Bronstein
Let Me Off Uptown
(CD
Telarc)
What a fun album
this is! Manhattan Transfer’s Cheryl Bentyne sings songs made famous by
Anita O’Day, an idea suggested by her manager. O’Day, who was known
for her unique phrasing, was a savvy interpreter of American standards and brought
to her songs a special hip sensibility that contrasted with the
white-gloved image she presented in the documentary Jazz On A Summer’s
Day. Bentyne has a voice similar to O’Day’s, has the ability to
switch tempo, and conveys elegance without the white gloves. She brings a relaxed,
playful tone to tunes by American Songbook greats such as Fats Waller,
Hoagy Carmichael, Rodgers and Hart, Irving Berlin, and Jerome Kern. Accompanying
her is a knowing ensemble that includes husband Corey Allen (who also produced)
on piano, sax guys Pete Christlieb and Lanny Morgan, and trumpeter Jack Sheldon
who “plays” Roy Eldridge in his duet with Bentyne on the title track.
For a good time dining and dancing on a summer’s evening, one can’t
do much better than listening to this collection, with Bentyne’s voice
pouring as smoothly as-well, a Manhattan.
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