A pleasing singer in her mid-twenties, Alex Pangman loves the music of the 1920s and '30s. For her second recording for the Canadian Sensation label, she performs 13 vintage obscurities plus a lone standard ("Prisoner of Love") and her own "Melancholy Lullaby." Although her voice is small, it is personable and she digs into the lyrics of such early gems as "Mama's Gone Goodbye," "I Had Someone Else Before I Had You," "Through the Courtesy of Love," "Concentratin' on You," and "Careless." Particularly intriguing are the four separate groups that the singer uses. Her Jazz Manouche is a quartet with trumpeter Chris Whitely, two acoustic guitars, and bass. Her Hired Hands is more in the Western swing vein with trumpeter Peter Ecklund, violinist Erin Solomon, and Whitely on steel guitar, plus two guitars, piano, and bass. Her Alleycats is a more conventional septet with three brass horns (including Jeff Healey on trumpet and guitar), while her International All Stars is a sextet with the Bix Beiderbecke-inspired trumpet of Dick Sudhalter. With the variety of instrumentation, the obscure material, and Alex Pangman's enjoyable voice, it makes for an excellent set of revivalist jazz, easily recommended for fans of trad and 1920s-style music. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming 4:49
–Alex And Her Hired Hands
Written-By – Friend
2 Serenade In The Night 4:15
–Alex And Her Alleycats
Written-By – Cherubini, Bixie, Kennedy
3 Mama's Gone Goodbye 4:12
–Alex And Her International All Stars
Written-By – Piron, Bocage
4 Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Love 2:46
–Alex And Her International All Stars
Written-By – Robin, Rainger
5 I Had Someone Else Before I Had You 3:10
–Alex And Her Hired Hands
Written-By – Harris, Stanley, Darcy
6 Yours All Yours 3:51
–Alex And Her Alleycats
7 It's Unanimous Now 3:31
–Alex And Her International All Stars
Written-By – Sam H. Stept
8 Through The Courtesy Of Love 3:32
–Alex And Her All Stars
Written-By – Scholl, Jerome
9 After You Said You Were Leaving 3:09
–Alex And Her Hired Hands
Written-By – Montgomery
10 Prisioner Of Love 4:30
–Alex And Her International All Stars
Written-By – Russ Columbo
11 One Night In Monte Carlo 4:15
–Alex And Her International All Stars
Written-By – Silver, Lewis, Sherman
12 Melancholy Lullaby 2:54
–Alex And Her Jazz Manouche
Guitar – Roberto Rosenman
Written-By – Alex Pangman
13 Concentratin' On You 5:15
–Alex And Her International All Stars
Written-By – Razaf, Waller
14 Careless 4:57
–Alex And Her Hired Hands
Written-By – Jurgens, Howard, Quandling
15 It's All Your Fault 3:15
–Alex And Her Hired Hands
Written-By – Walker
Credits:
Bass – Colin Bray (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7 to 11, 13 to 15), Ka Cheong Liu (tracks: 2, 6, 12)
Clarinet – Ross Wooldridge (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13)
Drums – Chris Lamont (tracks: 2, 6), Steve Torrico (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13)
Fiddle – Erin Solomon (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 14, 15)
Guitar – Jeff Healey (tracks: 1 to 11, 13 to 15), Jesse Barksdale (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 12, 14, 15)
Pedal Steel Guitar – Chris Whiteley (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 14, 15)
Piano – Henry Francis (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13), Peter Hill (tracks: 2, 6), Roberta Hunt (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 14, 15)
Trombone – William Carn (tracks: 2, 6)
Trumpet – Chris Whiteley (tracks: 2, 6, 12), Jeff Healey (tracks: 2, 6), Peter Ecklund (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 14, 15), Dick Sudhalter (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13)
Vocals – Alex Pangman
