Love Is Never Out Of Season

In lot of years of listening I've come across a couple of five star takes on Fats Waller's classic song "Honeysuckle Rose": Benny's Goodman's extended, loose-limbed, rollicking live version on Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert; and Louis Armstrong and Velma Middleton's good time rendition -- featuring a characteristic pinpoint precision trumpet solo by Pops -- on Satch Plays Fats. Now I've found a third.

Vocalist Laura Welland chose the classic to open her debut CD, Love is Never Out of Season, allowing the song to whisper to life on Joe Labarbera's shuffling drum work and John Clayton's cool-walking bass, that interacts with Welland's singing beautifully as the vocalist croons in, slow and smooth, like a flow of... well, warm honey; and then the energy builds on a swelling tempo that pushes Welland's delivery from hushed and understated into the realm of belting it out with a supreme assurance full of nuanced phrasings, melding with her superb backing band, a meshing of vocalist and trio that reminds me of Tony Bennett's work with the Ralph Sharon Trio.

Welland's vocal style is refreshingly direct, bringing Rosemary Clooney or Irene Kral to mind; and here's betting she's soaked up some Ella Fitzgerald and Carmen McRae, too. But overall, her style is her own -- unaffected, straightforward, clean-toned, with a personal way of turning a phrase with natural ease. And, man, can she and the trio swing, especially on the title tune and "I've Got the Sun in the Morning."

She's not Ella -- who is? -- but she scats like an angel (too briefly), with a less brassy, sparer approach and richer tones on "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To"; and her duet with pianist Bill Mays on "I'm Confessin'" has that late '40's, classic feel to it.

An outstanding recording, an uncluttered take on some of the standards, a finely focused effort from start to finish.