Judy Niemack is a gifted vocalist who moved to Europe to make her mark as a recording artist. Following a series of impressive releases for the now defunct Free Lance, she made this rewarding session for the German unit of Sony. Joined by an outstanding band that includes guitarist
Jean Francois Prins (her husband), bassist
Eddie Gomez, vibraphonist
David Friedman, and percussionist Café,
Niemack's wide-ranging choice of material and infectious voice keep things interesting, with many of the pieces having a "time" theme in their titles. She penned hopeful lyrics to
Pat Metheny's "Talk Awhile" (originally titled "[It's Just] Talk") and delightfully scats in unison along with
Prins and
Friedman.
Niemack's subtle arrangement of "Sometime Ago" is an object of beauty, while her playful side comes across in the sexy rendition of
Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Her haunting treatment of "'Round Midnight" features
Prins and
Gomez, adding
Lee Konitz's emotional alto sax solo. Since many of the songs on this CD were associated with the late pianist
Bill Evans, it shouldn't be surprising that she would choose one of his compositions. "Time Remembered" is one of his more difficult ballads, but
Niemack (together with
Prins and
Gomez, the latter
Evans' bassist for over 11 years) negotiates its challenges with finesse.
Prins switches to acoustic guitar for the trio's powerful interpretation of
Denny Zeitlin's beautiful requiem "Quiet Now." Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden