Jackie Cain and
Roy Kral are incapable of sounding down or being blue.
East of Suez is another batch of delightfully upbeat material featuring their distinctive two-part vocal harmony, guaranteed to "turn your frown upside down." The program alternates between songs with lyrics and wordless vocal romps.
Michael Franks' opening "Don't Be Blue" sets the tone and is followed by "D'Light," a Kral original featuring his piano, Paul Johnson's vibes, and the duo's "doo-dop-ooo-dah" scatting. The
Johnny Mandel-Paul Williams composition, "Close Enough for Love," gives Cain an opportunity to demonstrate her beautiful way with a ballad. The title track is another wordless workout, while "Wings of Love" is a gorgeously swinging piece of romantic wistfulness. Bassist
Brian Torff kicks off the Cain-Johnson collaboration, "Travelin'," a marvelously melodic invitation to hit the road, full of surprising musical curves and swerves. After the
Alec Wilder pop tune "It's So Peaceful in the Country,"
East of Suez wraps up with a bebop finale, Bird and Dizzy's "Anthropology." ~ Jim Newsom