Over the Rainbow
What remains of singer Jimmy Scott's voice after more than four decades plying the jazz waters is profound, what with its broken eggshell timbre, keening falsetto, and lived-in vibrato. That combination of elements brings the listener back again and again toOver the Rainbow, where the depth of emotion that Scott conveys is boundless. On his epic rendition of the title song, against the tolling, celestial airs ofJoe Beck's alto guitar andJoe Locke's vibes, Scott sounds the longing of dreams deferred, and one is left with a deep feeling for the singer's grace. Since teaming up with producer Todd Barkan, Scott has upped the ante for every contemporary jazz singer, proving conclusively that it ain't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. Scott's vocal stylings are the closest thing extant to the high drama of lateBillie Holiday, circaLady in Satin, and that point's relevant here with his reading of "Strange Fruit." Against the fattening thunder ofGeorge Mraz's bass and Clarence Penn's drums, the Coletrane-ish lament ofDavid "Fathead" Newman's tenor andLarry Willis's piano, plus the taut bluesy cries of Beck's guitar, Scott redefines Lady Day's masterpiece with the stunned wonder of someone entirely new to the art of song and the vagaries of racism. Throughout the album, spirited, deeply felt jazz accompaniments win the day beside Scott's inimitable voice. All is not heaviness, though. The opening "Pennies from Heaven" swings in a graceful, bluesy manner, while "P.S. I Love You" and "I'll Close My Eyes" are gently ingratiating, tender ballads, all after-hours smoke and nostalgia. Jimmy Scott is the real deal.--Chip Stern