Work has had me on the road a lot lately, so that new in-car MP3 player has been a lot of use. (Promoters, take note: please remember to send MP3s too, now my motor is CD playerless.) Some days the only thing between me and vehicular homicide is a rage-mitigating soundtrack, like that provided by Washington DC-based Darden Purcell’s very timely new release.
I can’t remember the last time I heard a record as cool as Love’s Got Me in a Lazy Mood—which is ideal for when inconsiderate road users get me darn hot. The eleven-track album is a smorgasbord of styles blending elements of straight-ahead, swinging, and Latin jazz, often within a single number. Trad purists should be pleased by how hard it swings, while those with broader tastes will appreciate the range of jazz styles incorporated.
This Pan-American-sounding production presents a variety of new takes on old standards: “Taking a Chance on Love” is now an exuberantly bouncing swing waltz, “Willow Weep for Me” is 1960s lounge jazz featuring scat singing, ice-cold vibraphone and several time signatures, “Come Back to Me” gets the bossa nova treatment, and “Love’s Got Me in a Lazy Mood” is so laid-back it’s horizontal—Johnny Mercer’s 1951 side sounds positively peppy, in comparison.
Purcell’s voice is what I would call straight up: served neat, on the rocks with no mixer. Her tone is clean, clear,
