The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

It is amazing but not surprising how people want to get back to the same old routine they were in before the pandemic instead of inventing themselves anew. As I move around my city I see more and more people not wearing masks in enclosed spaces. I am not surprised by the robotic sense of normalcy by society.

This week I have selected an album by the underrated and often unappreciated vocalist  Irene Kral. The younger sister of pianist Roy Kral, I discovered her towards the end of her career in 1977 when I heard her album Where Is Love. I was enamored by her voice and the quiet understatement of her singing. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to hear her live as she transitioned the followin year in August.

The album I present today is her third studio session, Better Than Anything, recorded on June 17 & 18, 1963 at the World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles, California. It was produced by Joe Burnett, engineered by Richard Bock and released the same year on Äva Records and distributed by MGM. Making up the quartet with Irene is the Junior Mance Trio.

The cover design was by Richter & Mracky Design Associates, the photography by Fred Seligo and the liner notes were written by Tommy Wolf.

Track List | 29:24

  1. Better Than Anything (David “Buck” Wheat, Bill Loughborough) ~ 2:21
  2. The Touch Of Your Lips (Ray Noble) ~ 2:22
  3. The Meaning of the Blues (Bobby Troup, Leah Worth) ~ 3:11
  4. Rock Me To Sleep (Benny Carter, Paul Vandervoort II) ~ 2:20
  5. No More (Tutti Camarata, Bob Russell) ~ 3:10
  6. Passing By (Laurent Hess, Charles Trenet, Jack Lawrence) ~ 1:54
  7. It’s a Wonderful World (Jan Savitt, Harold Adamson, Johnny Watson) ~ 2:34
  8. This Is Always (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) ~ 3:23
  9. Just Friends (John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis) ~ 2:40
  10. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) ~ 3:35
  11. Nobody Else But Me (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) ~ 1:54
The Players
  • Irene Kral ~ vocals
  • Junior Mance ~ piano
  • Bob Cranshaw ~ bass
  • Mickey Roker ~ drums

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