What It Means

JAZZ: BAND W/ VOCALS

Bria Skonberg, a Canadian-born trumpet player / composer / singer, gives us a nice sampler containing a few of her own original compositions, a couple jazz classics, and some popular-song covers. Her singing is good, but not exceptional; her arrangements and trumpet parts are stronger. She’s backed by a tight, New Orleans based ensemble.

FCC clean

1 * mid-slow slinky intro, then a fun up-tempo syncopated scamper; instrumental (4:30)
2 Amos Lee’s old-timey novelty song, sung by Bria in a cutie-pie style (3:40)
3 slow ballad. Bria singing, lightly comp’d by guitar, piano, bass; trumpet solo (4:13)
4 mid-fast; Sonny & Cher’s 1960s hit gets a soulful hard-bop treatment (6:50)
5 * mid-tempo; pleasant straight-ahead jazz. Skonberg original; instrumental (6:21)
6 * fast. Impressively faithful redo of a 1920s Louis Armstrong tune; instrumental (4:44)
7 ** slow then mid-tempo. warm & lovely interpretation of a John Lennon song (5:27)
8 ** mid-fast. snappy cover of a Van Morrison song. Good guest vox. Extended band (3:23)
9 * slow. instrumental classic by Sidney Bechet. strong trumpet, nice bass clarinet (4:35)
10 ** fast. lively & syncopated instrumental romp. Good solos all around (7:05)
11 ** very slow. medley of two beautiful lullabies: by Billy Joel and by jazz trumpet great Thad Jones; Bria’s nicest vocal & best trumpet solo. Syrupy sweet but gorgeous (4:29)