Review: Tony Hightower | The New Standard
To take upon oneself the task of reviewing music, one must begin with simply listening. Not just for the instrument but every component that makes a recording session into something special. Sometimes it warrants a drive down the highway, accompanying a Saturday morning house cleaning or in some instances, a quiet place. Regardless of the locale, you approach each one with enthusiastic anticipation and pray the experience will be a pleasurable one.
In recent years there has been a cadre of singers who scour the Great American Songbook only to choose everyone’ favorite songs to record, leading the listener down a well-worn and tiresome road. However, there are an extraordinary few who hear something different and blaze new trails with the standards. I seek out those who choose to dip their proverbial ladles into the uncharted waters and successfully contribute impressive versions of great compositions and originals to the pantheon.
So, to step out and name a debut project The New Standard, in such revered footsteps as Herbie Hancock, takes not only faith but also a confidence in one’s ability to create something beyond ordinary. Unequivocally, this is what composer, arranger and vocalist Tony Hightower has accomplished with his penning of six original tunes, while taking out a loan from Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Eden Ahbez, and Thelonious Monk, thus making this an offering worthy of the title.
Throughout my Atlanta residency as a deejay I was privileged and honored to witness the maturation of the musicians and vocalists who keep the city alive with jazz. From this pool of talent Tony selected pianist Kenny Banks Jr., drummer Henry Conerway III and bassist Kevin Smith to be his principle rhythm section, interchanging pianists Phil Davis on “Minor Major”, Nick Rosen on “Close To You” and Mose Davis and Marcus Williams on “I Mean You”. It is evident he possessed clarity to hear the touch that is required to give each song new life.
Foresight is a gift that is given few and Mr. Hightower has blessed the world with an album of such magnitude. Enlisting Atlanta jazz royalty that defines the new face of the modern jazz generation, he brings the maturity of Kebbi Williams, Melvin Jones, Mike Burton, Dorran Thigpen, Frank Houston and Wilbert Williams to bear witness. If this is not enough to satiate your musical palate, he washes the orchestrations with the voices of Theresa Hightower, Natasha Brown, All Us Katz, Keasha Copeland, Sandra Miller, Donna Ector, Kelsie Broughton and Felicia Hardy.
As I listened to this project for the fourth, fifth and sixth time I never tired of hearing the “A” game this talented young man brought into the studio. Relentlessly he engulfs your senses with an accompaniment of strings by David Davidson, David Angell, Elizabeth Lamb and John Catchings. Wrap all this music up in a well-designed liner and you are told an equally compelling story through words and pictures, allowing you to take a peak into the mind of the man behind the music. I surmise, you will agree that this is a testament to his musical acumen and prowess.
The evidence lies before you. You only have to listen to the conversation to understand the brilliance of what you hear. Over a year ago, this young man said he was going to give me something I would enjoy. If this is what lies behind the marquee for the new standard, it was delivered as promised.
carl anthony | notorious jazz | november 30, 2014
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Mona Lisa, written for the 1950 film Captain Carey, U.S.A. by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston. The title and lyrics refer to the renaissance portrait of the same name painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The song won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1950. The movie is a drama starring Alan Ladd, Wanda Hendrix and Francis Lederer.
The Story: A group of agents of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services is sent to German-occupied Italy during World War II to knock out the German-held Italian railroad system. In accomplishing this mission, most of them are killed because of an inside betrayal. After the war, one of the survivors, Captain Webster Carey (Alan Ladd), resolves to find the traitor. Captain Carey returns to Orta, near Milan, to find out who betrayed his World War II O.S.S. team and caused the deaths of several villagers. Much to his surprise, his old love Giulia whom he thought dead at the hands of the Nazis, is alive and married to a powerful Italian nobleman, Barone Rocco de Graffi.The villagers are unfriendly, but Carey persists in his clandestine efforts to flush out the traitor.
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Ethel Llewellyn Ennis was born November 28, 1932 in Baltimore, Maryland and began performing on the piano in high school, but her natural vocal abilities soon eclipsed those as a pianist.
Embarking on a solo career Ethel recorded a number of songs for Atlantic Records before her 1955 debut of “Lullabies for Losers” on Jubilee Records. Two years later she moved to Capitol Records releasing “A Change of Scenery” followed by “Have You Forgotten”.
Ennis took a six-year hiatus from recording while she toured Europe with Benny Goodman. By the early Sixties she was back in the studio recording another four albums for RCA Records but unfortunately was dissatisfied with the creative direction and artist management left for a second recording hiatus of eight years. During this time she recorded the title song for the 1967 film Mad Monster Party and in 1973 the “10 Sides of Ethel Ennis” emerged on record store shelves.
That same year Ennis was invited to sing at the re-inauguration of Richard Nixon and her unusual a cappella rendition of the national anthem shocked some, but inspired many others. Ethel returned to Baltimore, rarely performing outside the area over the next several decades. 1980 saw her return to the studio releasing a live album, but it would be fourteen years later before her self-titled album came out, followed by the 1998 release of “If Women Ruled The World” was released on Savoy Jazz and a 2005 live recording of her performance at Montpelier was released to critical acclaim. Jazz vocalist Ethel Ennis passed away from a stroke on February 17, 2019, in her hometown. She was 86.
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Etta Jones was born on November 25, 1928 in Aiken, South Carolina and was raised in Harlem, New York City. While in her teens she joined Buddy Johnson’s band and embarked on a nationwide tour. Her first recordings in 1944 Salty Papa Blues and Long, Long Journey were produced by Leonard Feather and backed by Barney Bigard, and George Auld. She would go on to perform with the Earl Hines Sextet from 1949 to ’52.
Over the course of her career Etta worked with Oliver Nelson, Kenny Burrell, Milt Jackson, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, Gene Ammons and Houston Person, whom she met in one of Johnny Hammond’s bands. Jones’ thirty-year relationship with Person helped to ensure a long and prolific career with h Her best-known recordings were Grammy nominated “Don’t Go To Strangers” in 1960, “Save Your Love For Me” in 1981 and “My Buddy” in 1999.
She recorded for Prestige, Muse and HighNote record labels and secured her a loyal and devoted following. In 2008 her album Don’t Go To Strangers was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Vocalist Etta Jones passes away from cancer on October 16, 2001 at age 72 in Mount Vernon, New York.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Charade is a sad, lonely Parisian waltz composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer for the 1963 film of the same name starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Now a classic song getting perpetual jazz encores song and is the theme to this romantic comedy, thriller, mystery film. The supporting cast included Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass and Jacques Marin.
The Story: When husband Charles is murdered leaving town, Regina “Reggie” Lampert (Hepburn) is tasked by the CIA administrator Matthau) to deliver the $250,000 in gold that five men stole from the U.S. that was to be delivered to the French Resistance and that her husband double-crossed and took for himself. Insistent that she knows where it is even though she may not know it. In walks Peter Joshua (Grant) to help her move into her apartment and the hunt for the money begins. Reggie falls for Peter, names constantly change, there’s murder and chases through the streets of Paris. They realize the money is in a priceless stamp and this lead up to the discovery of the identity of Carson Dyle and who the government agent is.
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