The stellar A Touch of the Blues pairs Lee Wiley with an exceptional band led by trumpeter Billy Butterfield, whose warm, beautiful tone proves a sympathetic counterpoint to Al Cohn and Bill Finegan's otherwise dark, melancholy arrangements. While a title like A Touch of the Blues guarantees the listener few surprises, the album consistently avoids the familiar bluesy clichés -- Wiley's sensuality and sophistication suggest emotional depths to make such gestures redundant anyway. And like her more celebrated songbook sessions, the material here is expertly selected, complementing Wiley's inherent strengths while affording her the latitude to stretch out in new directions. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1 The Memphis Blues 3:30
W.C. Handy / George Norton
2 From the Land of the Sky Blue Water 2:47
3 The Ace in the Hole 3:03
James Dempsey / George Mitchell
4 Someday You'll Be Sorry 4:13
Louis Armstrong
5 My Melancholy Baby 3:15
Ernie Burnett / George Norton
6 A Hundred Years from Today 3:12
Ned Washington / Joseph Young / Victor Young
7 Blues in My Heart 3:03
Benny Carter / Irving Mills
8 Maybe You'll Be There 3:17
Rube Bloom / Sammy Gallop
9 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 3:00
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
10 I Don't Want to Walk Without You 2:46
Frank Loesser / Jule Styne
11 Make Believe 3:19
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
12 A Touch of the Blues 4:13
Don George / Ed Wilcox
Credits :
Arranged By – Bill Finegan
Arranged By, Saxophone – Al Cohn
Bass – Milt Hinton
Guitar – Mundell Lowe, Barry Galbraith
Lead Vocals – Lee Wiley
Piano – Moe Wechsler
Saxophone – Gene Allen
Trumpet, Leader – Billy Butterfield
