Laura Ainsworth: “You Asked For It” (2022) CD Review

The cover of jazz vocalist Laura Ainsworth’s latest release, You Asked For It, shows a single on an old record player, and the CD is packaged like a vinyl record, the disc contained within a clear plastic sleeve inside the cardboard jacket. So before you even put the disc on, you’re already thinking of older songs, prepared for them. And indeed, on this album, Laura Ainsworth delivers renditions of classics like “Cry Me A River” and “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Also tucked into the packaging are two sets of liner notes, one of which unfolds as a small poster of Laura Ainsworth on one side. So, yes, a good deal of thought went into the presentation of this album. But of course it’s the music itself that is the focus here, and she has chosen some excellent material to present on this release, songs that are often requested during her live performances. Joining the vocalist on these tracks are Brian Piper on piano, Rodney Booth on trumpet and flugelhorn, Chris McGuire on tenor saxophone, Noel Johnston on guitar, Young Heo on bass, and Steve Barnes on drums.

Laura Ainsworth opens the album with a delicious rendition of “Cry Me A River,” which features some great stuff from the horn players, particularly during that instrumental section, with the rhythm section hopping and swinging. Of course the focus is Laura Ainsworth’s voice, and she gives a strong vocal performance. When she sings, “I remember all that you said,” we can hear it in her voice, even getting a sense of it, like we are there. Her reaction is in her delivery, which is wonderful. That’s followed by “All The Things You Are,” this version including those opening lines that are sometimes cut. “Time and again I’ve longed for adventure/Something to make my heart beat the faster.” When the song kicks in, the horns deliver that familiar sound. Then when Laura Ainsworth sings, “You are the promised breath of springtime,” there is a breathy quality to her delivery. She really inhabits this song. “Someday my happy arms will hold you/And someday I’ll know that moment divine/When all the things you are/Are mine.” This track features some nice work on piano. She then turns to the James Bond series to cover “Goldfinger,” originally sung by Shirley Bassey. Her version has a mellower opening than Bassey’s original, without that horn. There is a more intimate feel to this rendition, and there is some cool work on saxophone approximately halfway through. And I always like the little nods to the James Bond theme that are contained in this song.

You can never go wrong with Gershwin, and for this album Laura Ainsworth chooses two songs written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. The first is “Someone To Watch Over Me,” one of my favorite Gershwin songs, and Laura Ainsworth does include that first section that is sometimes cut, where her voice is supported by just piano. The others come in as she moves into the main body of the song. Her voice has warmth and conveys that need, as she sings “Someone tell him please/To put on some speed.” This track features some sweet work from the horn section, as well as beautiful work on piano and some gentle playing with brushes on drums, all working so well. That’s followed by “Scotch And Soda.” This is a song that was recorded by The Kingston Trio in the late 1950s, and as mentioned in this disc’s liner notes, it is unknown who wrote the song (though it is credited to The Kingston Trio’s Dave Guard). The Manhattan Transfer covered it in the 1970s. This track has a delightfully laid-back vibe, particularly that good bass line and the nice work on guitar. Then in the first section of “As Time Goes By,” she sings, “Relax, relieve the tension,” and this music should do that very thing. As the song moves into its main body, I can’t help but think of Casablanca. The song is older than that film, but it has becomes associated with it in the minds of probably everyone who has enjoyed that movie. Laura Ainsworth delivers a really good rendition here, featuring some nice work from the horn players.

At the beginning of “Isn’t It Romantic?” when she sings, “I know your profile,” well, something different springs to mind than what was originally intended, in this age of social websites. Again, it’s great that she includes the opening section to this song, a part that is often dropped. Laura Ainsworth’s voice has a romantic feel, perfect for the song. Listening to this music, it seems that love should be filling the air and alighting on everyone. In addition to the two songs composed by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Laura Ainsworth performs one written by Ira Gershwin and Vernon Duke, “I Can’t Get Started.” This one has kind of a cool vibe, particularly because of the bass line, which I sometimes find myself focusing on. “Life’s a bore, the world is my oyster no more.” This track also features a wonderful vocal performance, one of my favorites of the album.

“Gone is the romance that was so divine,” Laura Ainsworth sings at the beginning of “What’ll I Do?” But everything about this track tells us that romance is alive and well. And in fact, everything about this album seems to tell us that. This song is about being a distance from the person we love, something many of us know from experience is difficult, but the music itself seems to bring love to us. This track includes some beautiful work on saxophone. Laura Ainsworth keeps the sense of yearning going with “Once Upon A Time,” a track that features warm work on piano and some thoughtful work from the brass players. “Once upon a time/The world was sweeter than we knew/Everything was ours/How happy we were then/But somehow once upon a time/Never comes again.” That’s followed by “Love Is Here To Stay,” the second of the album’s songs written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Its opening lines have hit me harder in recent years, partly because I’m older, I suppose, but mainly because of the insanity of the world: “The more I read the papers/The less I comprehend/The world and all its capers/And how it all will end/Nothing seems to be lasting.” According to the disc’s liner notes, this is the last song that George Gershwin wrote, something I either didn’t know or had forgotten (as I get older, it’s impossible to distinguish between the two). This track is certainly one of the album’s highlights, featuring a passionate vocal performance and some nice stuff from the horn players. This track gently swings, particularly during the piano lead in the instrumental section, and there is a good lead on bass, Young Heo allowed to stretch out a bit. Laura Ainsworth then concludes the album with “Over The Rainbow,” and again, she includes that opening section, which she delivers a cappella. “When all the world is a hopeless jumble/And the raindrops tumble all around/Heaven opens a magic lane.”

CD Track List

1. Cry Me A River
2. All The Things You Are
3. Goldfinger
4. Someone To Watch Over Me
5. Scotch And Soda
6. As Time Goes By
7. Isn’t It Romantic?
8. I Can’t Get Started
9. What’ll I Do?
10. Once Upon A Time
11. Love Is Here To Stay
12. Over The Rainbow

You Asked For It was released on November 18, 2022.