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All About Jazz.com

Everything about In The Company of Friends is first class. For one thing, there is a sense of balance: between comfortable material and challenging reinvention, between brilliantly conceived arrangements (never cluttered) and sparse backgrounds, between ensemble playing and soloing, between singer and accompanist. Each tune is a fresh scenario with its own message, especially in the rhythm department. I’ve been playing the CD over and over since I got it, and I’m still not tired of it.

Denise Donatelli moved to Los Angeles recently from Atlanta. This is her first CD, and it came out of a working relationship with Tom Garvin. Her natural sound is out of the classic tradition of interpreting lyrics, but she sings about life in the new millennium. I cringed when I noticed yet another “Send in the Clowns,” but it turned out to be my favorite cut. Instead of treating it as a dramatic showstopper, Donatelli and Garvin give it a subversive feel, possibly not far from Sondheim’s original intent, with Donatelli floating wonderfully over the insistent rhythm and bending notes for meaning.

There is also humor (the broader variety) in “A Roarin’ Borin’ Alice,” a Dave Frishberg-like original by Garvin and Pat Cooper. “If You Could See Me Now,” a contrast to the ironic feel of some songs, features intimate storyteller Donatelli in a three-way dialog with Garvin and Brian Scanlon. A completely overhauled “Green Dolphin Street” over a simmering modern tango rhythm is maybe the most interesting piece musically, with a new harmonic scheme and frequent key changes. An uptempo “Dream Dancing” also has a Latin backdrop, more evolved than the usual Cole Porter bolero, and there’s a hint of “Pent-up House.” Donatelli’s marvelous sense of swing is front and center on “This is New,” a cut that also features burning solos by Clay Jenkins and Bob Sheppard. She creatively recomposes the melody on a blues-tinged “Sleepin’ Bee,” generating some tension and urgency in the process.

The band, premier musicians all, plays with particular conviction and crispness. There are no throwaway solos.
full article...

 - Craig Jolley

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LA Jazz Scene

There is no point mincing words; this is a very impressive debut by singer Denise Donatelli. The arrangements by pianist Tom Garvin are modern and complex with a variety of standards being reharmonized in unusual ways, but Ms. Donatelli has no difficulty singing above the often-dense ensembles, sounding warm, always in-tune and swinging lightly.

After a period living and singing regularly in Atlanta, Denise Donatelli moved to Los Angeles a few years ago and has been working occasionally in local clubs in recent times. On the evidence of this CD, she is one of the best singers in town.

In addition to pianist Tom Garvin, bassist Tom Warrington and drummer Steve Houghton, the CD utilizes five horn players on various tracks (trumpeter Clay Jenkins, trombonist Andy Martin, tenor-saxophonist Tom Peterson, alto flutist Brian Scanlon and Bob Sheppard on reeds), guitarist Peter Woodford and percussionist Brian Kilgore; each of the horns has their chances to solo. While some of the numbers (such as "A Sleeping Bee") are fairly straightforward, there are also many offbeat and unexpected performances. Among those are a slower than usual version of "On Green Dolphin Street" taken in 5/4 time, a medium-tempo "The Thrill Is Gone," successful reworkings of "'Round Midnight" and "If You Could See Me Now" (both of which really show off Ms. Donatelli's voice well), and a postbop arrangement of "You Don't Know What Love Is" that has the singer interacting with Jenkins and Sheppard.

This set is highly recommended and available from www.jazzedmedia.com.
 

 -Scott Yanow

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West Coast Jazz Forum

"....me, the guy who only collects one vocalist is actually flipping out over a new one on the jazz scene!, so I have to tell you about her. Her name is Denise Donatelli, she has a voice like a horn, with perfect intonation, perfect pitch, jazz phrasing and a purity of tone that will knock you out!. She has a new release out on the Jazzed Media label titled "In The Company Of Friends" and I can recommend it unreservedly. She's backed variously by such people as Tom Garvin, who wrote most of the charts for this studio session; Warrington, Houghton, Jenkins, Martin, Sheppard, Peterson, Scanlon & Kilgore.

She is Irene Kral reincarnate (..and she's the one I collect!)."

 - Vic Hall,

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O's Place Jazz Newsletter, Chicago, IL

O's Notes:
Every once in a while we come across a natural jazz singer, one who's phrasing and tone come intuitively. Denise is one of those special people. She blends with this band for eleven pleasant songs. Pianist Tom Garvin creates unique arrangements going as far as changing time signatures on some tracks. This leads to a fresh sound from common jazz classics.

  - D. Oscar Groomes

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Reviews & Articles   page 1 2 3 4

- Scott Yanow, LA Jazz Scene