Joanne Tatham - "Out of My Dreams"

Steven A. Cerra
March 22, 2015

"Tatham has the chops to go all the way"

— Chris Spector - Midwest Record

"A colorful voice with a great sense of tempo and time...

what a pleasure it is to discover Joanne Tatham!"   

— Rex Reed

"This is a carefully conceived collection by a superb vocalist"

— Jersey Jazz Journal

"It was a treat to go on this musical ride with Joanne Tatham - her vocal approach to these songs kept things fresh and real, and she colored the lyrics of these songs with a sensitivity and passion that made it all come alive."   

— Tamir Hendelman

"...An exceptionally beautiful voice. It's reminiscent of the pop balladeers of the late '50's and early '60's, but with a fine-drawn intensity and shimmering vibrato that are all her own."

- Terry Teachout

It’s always a pleasure to get turned on to a vocalist whose style of singing engages me in a song’s lyrics. I mean I can hum or whistle or tap out the melody of many songs on a piano or a set of vibes, but I can’t sing. I can read lyrics, even speak them somewhat poetically if need be, but I can’t sing them. I can hear the humor in lyrics by Dave Frishberg and Bob Dorough, or feel the poignancy in the lyrics to sad songs like Detour Ahead or In A Lonely Place, or marvel at the lyrics that are applied to tunes that I know primarily as instrumentals such as Herbie Hancock’s Tell Me a Bedtime Story or McCoy Tyner’s You Taught My Heart to Sing; but I can’t sing nary a one of ‘em. Over the years I’ve worked in big band, show bands, and small groups that backed singers; in many cases because they were good paying gigs but not because I looked forward to what these singers had to offer. Often they thought they could sing, but the reality was that few of them could.

Brief stints backing Anita O’Day, Blossom Dearie, Matt Dennis, Bobby Troup and Peggy Lee taught me the difference between affectation as a singer and talent as a vocalist, the latter usually combined with a high degree of musicianship. Not surprisingly then, over the years, I have become very particular about my choice of vocal Jazz artists. The current era of self-produced CD’s has made me even more selective as it seems that anyone who thinks they can carry a tune makes a recording. They arrived at the offices of the editorial staff of JazzProfiles by the fistful. After a brief listening, most of them find their way into a giveaway bag for local charitable organizations. But every so often, someone special comes in the door and reminds me of why, when it is done well, the human voice can be the most expressive of Jazz instruments.

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