Barbara Morrison - Visit Me (CD)

All Music Guide

Vereran singer Morrison retains her street smart Helen Humes style of cutesy, slightly rough edged vocalising. Mixing ballads, blues, jazz and pop songs on this recording of 12 well known numbers, Morrison serves a balanced, standard fare. Phil Wright is the standout rhythm mate, a very good pianist and fine accompanist. Andy Simpkins plays bass on what may be his last recording session before he passed away. Drummer Paul Humphrey is always on the money, while tenor saxophonists Ralph Moore (3 cuts) and Ricky Woodard (4, one on alto) provide more than satisfying bridge solos. Morrison's forte is ballads, she does four in a row; "Is She Still On Your Mind?" with a great solo by Simpkins, "This Is Always" where Morrison fares best in her mid-range, "A Time for Love" with Moore's sweet tenor, and a change-up on "Ill Wind" where this classic torch song is taken on a more mid-tempo swing. Morrison duets with Kevin Mahogany on "You" in a Brook Benton-Dinah Washington "You Got What It Takes" ...call-and-response manner, and trades googly-eyed jive with trumpeter/singer Snooky Young for "Exactly Like You." The title track is similar to "All Of Me" with Wright reharmonizing the changes, an easy blues "In The Dark" has Morrison belting it out by song's end, and "Where Are You" concludes the set in a slow swinging mood. The pop tunes are Percy Mayfield's tick-tock slinky "A River's Invitation" with Wright's repeated two bar piano phrase, and a samba inflected Stevie Wonder tune "Rocket Love" with recording engineer Nolan Shareen stepping away from the console to lead the way on trumpet. Morrison's singing is always enjoyable, not perfect yet, but close enough for jazz. More importantly we get to hear the always reliable Simpkins throughout this recording one more time. - Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide Read more Less