Singer-Saxophonist Danny Bacher Swings & Sings Joyfully With ‘Still Happy’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

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Danny Bacher is a new voice in jazz, comparable vocally to Harry Connick Jr., but rather unusually, he’s not a pianist but a soprano saxophonist. Whether singing or playing his delivery is clean, smooth, and invigorating. His approach is eminently accessible, especially because he’s purposely bringing uplifting tunes. He’s an entertainer who approaches his music in this manner, “The way I like to connect to my audience is through humor and lightness. I like to convey a positive message.” He’s here to elevate our moods.

Pianist Allen Farnham is the co-arranger with Bacher and as pianist Farnham leads a rhythm section comprised of bassist Dean Johnson, drummer Alvester Garnett, and percussionist Rolando Morales-Matos. The septet is rounded out by Harry Allen on tenor sax and Charles Caranicas on trumpet and flugelhorn. It’s a generous well-paced 65 minutes of music with several tunes in the six and seven minute range.  As such, each player has many opportunities to solo.

Bacher wrote two originals – “In Spite of All This, I’m Still Happy” and “Joie de Vivre” complementing such well-known tunes as “Joy Spring,” “Lazy Afternoon” and “Get Happy.” He adds additional lyrics to “Joy Spring” and most notably to Whiting/Mercer’s “Hooray for Hollywood.” He reveals his witty side on the latter with “you’ll be splurgin’ to see a surgeon/He’ll make your tuchas look good…” The tune bounces along in swinging fashion, making it perhaps a touchstone that contrasts with the final track “Cloudy/Nuages” which reveals a more serious, introspective side as if to remind us he has that side too.

Bacher follows “Hooray Hollywood” with the ballad “Lucky to Be Me,” perhaps his best vocal performance that reveals an impressive range, especially in the upper registers. And, his soprano sax parts possess the same pure tone and clarity. Bacher is skilled at scat singing too as heard on the opening “Getting Some Fun Out of Life” and his own “Joie de Vivre,” both of which feature strong tenor solos from Allen. Caranicas is also right there with a killer trumpet solo on “Joie de Vivre.” He’s also a master of several styles as we hear calypso riffs in “Get Happy,” doo-wop in “Shaking the Blues Away” touches of Billie Holiday in “Getting Some Fun Out of Life,” and, of course, be-bop.

”This Happy Madness” is a ballad from Jobim, accented by an undercurrent of Brazilian percussion as well as an  especially strong piano contribution. Bacher scats with the ensemble over the shout chorus in “Joy Spring,” with brisk energetic solos from both Allen and Carnicas. In keeping with the pattern, he follows with the ballad standard “Lazy Afternoon” in which he accentuates the moods by elongating the words to produce an amazingly languid feeling, made more dreamlike with his soprano solo.

The finale, “Cloudy/Nuages” has Farnham laying down a gentle smoky nightclub piano in support before soloing with finesse. Of course, Bacher adds his beautiful soprano to this fully instrumental tune, keeping the mood intact with the song title.  As it fades, we’re ready to hit repeat to get those joyous tunes again.

This is smile-inducing music, executed flawlessly by Bacher and his septet.

 

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