Whistling In The Dark | Music Pen Club, Japan
Keizo Takada
Denise Donatelli recorded her debut album “In the Company of Friends”（Japanese reissue title, On Green Dolphin Street) in 2005, and the third album released in 2011 was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal album. “Whistling in the Dark”, a collection of Burt Bacharach’s work is her sixth album inspired and produced by Larry Klein, a four time Grammy award-winning producer. In the liner notes, she says Burt Bachrach’s songs have been a part of her musical history, listening to Dionne Warwick and Elvis Costello, but it was hard to choose which songs to record from more than 100 Bachrach tunes. She has chosen 9 songs in total, but these are less familiar songs except for “The Look of Love,” ”Walk On By” and “A House Is Not A Home.” She sings these songs accompanied by Larry Goldings (p, k, organ), Anthony Wilson (g), Larry Klein (b, ky), Vinnie Colaiuta (ds), and Thomas Dybdahl (p & sy) on one track. Bacharach’s famous songs like “ Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” and “What the World Needs Now” are often sung up tempo, but since the album was recorded during Covid 19 difficulties, there are few up tempo numbers. Even “Walk On By” is sung in a slow, walking tempo and melancholy mood. Many of the Bachrach songs are love songs with a little twist and she focuses on this aspect, she sings, almost talking with Larry’s heavy feeling arrangements using organ and synthesizer. Quite a persuasive and impressive album.
(Translated to English)