Unearthed decades after original recording,this beautiful vocal Jazz album shows ex-Gene Krupa big band singer going for intimate after-hours music,backed by what sounds only small combo and very much in Nat king Cole Trio style. Unobtrusive musicians in the background give enough space to easy going and mournful sounding singer who was a first-rate balladeer and not unlike much better known Chet Baker (but where Baker occasionally sounded comatose,Bill Black had a spark and some life in him).
The recorded sound is of course mono but sounds surprisingly clear (considering time of recording) and the whole is one pure listening pleasure,something to curl up with on a cold and rainy night outside - what else,when you have gentle singer backed by guitar and bass - songs are ballads with sensitive lyrics,pure daydreaming.
No matter what were circumstances of Black's life and the tragedy of having this music never actually released and introduced to audience at the time (and we are talking about something like Sinatra's best ballad albums!) the time somehow turned the tide and now we have it, shining like some long forgotten jewel from another time, guitar and bass Jazz vocal diamond that actually don't sound dated at all.
I always love Jazz vocal music but often found big bands overwhelming the singers,so it is pleasure to find album like this,where simple background gives spotlight to voice and lyrics instead of orchestra.My very favorite Peggy Lee album is another unreleased one - "Travelin' light" where her radio-only recordings present her with similar small combo and her voice lingers around guitar,bass and drums,simple but much more effective than all the big bands crashing through the ceiling.
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