Denise Jannah – The Madness Of Our Love (1999)

An eclectic singer with three previous jazz albums, Denise Jannah has performed with such widely disparate organizations as the Willem Breuker Collective, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the Dutch Metropole Orchestra and starred in major productions of A Night At The Cotton Club and Ain’t Misbehavin’. Her attractive voice and crystal-clear delivery bring standards into instant focus while offering spirit and soul with distinction.
Supported by a veteran piano trio, Jannah toys with the beat. She never loses control, but moves in and out of time with the band again and again. Her four compositions reveal a penchant for employing meters as tools for driving home desired themes. Jannah’s waltz, "If Only," sweeps along easily with pleasant thoughts of what the future may hold, while "Wide Awake" swings to a steady 4/4 beat of sober tradition. "The Madness of our Love," in 5/4 time, flows seamlessly with grace, while "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" surprises with an unusual 7/4 meter.
Bassist Ira Coleman gives away the riffed secret, as drummer Carl Allen tempers with crisp, percussive logic. Up-tempo and with Brazilian overtones, the arrangement serves to showcase Jannah’s scat singing alongside her lyric delivery. Caressing the lyric of "’Round Midnight," she tells a convincing story. Elsewhere, with other familiar standards, Denise Jannah treats each song with respect while interpreting lyrics and making sure that her audience will remember the enjoyable session.

Denise Jannah (Denise Johanna Zeefuik), vocalist, educator, vocal director (theatre), actress, lyricist and composer; born at Paramaribo, Suriname, South America, 5 November 1956. She's been residing in Holland since 1971. Her father, Karel Zeefuik (Paramaribo, 1934), was a minister (Moravian Church), organ player, politician, and educator. Her mother is Eleonora Zeefuik-Homoet, (Paramaribo, 1935) a midwife and nurse, with a great voice. Her siblings are Ruth (born at Zeist, Holland, 1958), Shirley, a vocalist (born at Zeist, Holland, 1960) and Aida, also a vocalist (born at Paramaribo, 1968). Denise went to the University of Utrecht, Holland for Law studies for 4 and a half years (not completed). She also attended the conservatory of Hilversum, Holland.

Personnel:

Denise Jannah - vocals
Bert van den Brink - piano, musical director
Ira Coleman - bass
Carl Allen - drums
Khalil Bell - shaker (on Le Sourir de Mon Amour)

Tracklist:

01. Dearly Beloved
02. Wide Awake
03. 'Round Midnight
04. My Favorite Things
05. The Madness of Our Love
06. Just You, Just Me
07. Le Sourire de Mon Amour (A.K.A. The Shadow of Your Smile)
08. My Foolish Heart/I Fall in Love Too Easily
09. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
10. If Only
11. Harlem Nocturne
12. Teach Me Tonight

Produced by Bob Belden
Recorded at Avatar Studios, NY, June 1 & 2, 1999
Mastered at Studio Jules, Hilversum, The Netherlands

Sound Quality: 9