Betty Bryant opens this release
with an original composition, “Love Came And Went,” a totally enjoyable number,
the horn section giving it a big band flavor. “He was funny and charming/But it was alarming/How quickly it turned to
ennui/Love came and went/And nobody noticed but me.” This is a song that
Betty has recorded before, with a different arrangement. It was included on the
album What’s The Point? by the Betty
Bryant Trio. That’s followed by a wonderful, lively instrumental rendition of
“Oh, Lady Be Good” by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Once again, you can
never go wrong with Gershwin. This trio version features a delicious bass solo
followed by a cool drum solo. Then comes my personal favorite track of the
album, “Catfish Man,” an original composition. This tune is seriously cool, and
has a bluesy edge and a good groove. There is something delightful and adorable
about a woman who is close to 90 singing about editing images on an online
dating service, particularly as she also wrote this song. “You looked so fine/When I saw you online/Then I found out it was just Photoshop.”
I love her vocal delivery and I love Robert Kyle’s work on saxophone. On top of
all that, Betty delivers a marvelous lead on piano in the second half of the
track. This tune is just so bloody cool.
I’ve always enjoyed “Just You,
Just Me,” and it’s difficult to think about it now without images from Woody
Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You
popping into my head (if you haven’t seen that film, you should certainly check
it out). Here it is performed as a duet with James Gadson, who also plays drums
on this track, and it’s a delight. This rendition also features some wonderful
work on trumpet and flute. There is also some nice stuff on bass. This track ends
with James Gadson saying, “It’s
wonderful, it’s wonderful.” I agree. Another of the disc’s highlights is “Ain’t
Nobody’s Business.” That horn that starts this one off is just perfect, and
makes this track a favorite of mine within its first twenty seconds. This is a
wonderful rendition, with a great groove. And the lines “Because I’m three times seven/And that’s almost twenty-two/And it ain’t
nobody’s business what I do” have a certain playful humor to them,
considering her age. And there is a playful quality to her delivery of other lines
as well. I also love that moment when her piano takes control halfway through,
some fantastic stuff there. Plus, this track features some cool work on drums.
But that trumpet is really the star here.
The album concludes with two
more original compositions, the first being “My Beloved,” a pretty and romantic
instrumental number featuring some nice work on flute. Betty Bryant had
previously included this song on Just Us.
Quentin Dennard Sr. and Cassio Duarte are on percussion for this one. Then “It’s
Hard To Say Goodbye” is a romantic yet playful song, mentioning “cinnamon toast” and “ice cream at midnight.” But the lines
from that opening section that really stand out are: “You’re ooh, you’re ah/You’re baklava.” After a minute or so, it
kicks in. This is a delightful number with a full horn section. Betty Bryant
previously included a different version of this song on Iteration.
CD Track List
- Love Came And Went
- Oh, Lady Be Good
- Catfish Man
- Just You, Just Me
- But Beautiful
- Ain’t Nobody’s Business
- Cho Cho
- They Say It’s Wonderful
- My Beloved
- It’s Hard To Say Goodbye
Project 88 is scheduled to be released on January 11, 2019 through
Bry-mar Music.
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I will certainly acquire a copy for Sarah and I. We met Mrs Betty Bryant at the 90th Birthday celebration for Mr. Wally Holmes on October 27th. What an honor.
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