专辑简介

Valerie Gillespie's first appearance in The Villages was on June 1st, 2004. The reception was enthusiastic. Six Months later she was invited by The Jazz Lover's Club to return and it was SRO! Her ensemble continues to draw spirited, delighted and responsive devotees every weekend at a local venue in what has become an 'open ended' engagement. Now we have this recording of a spectacular live performance at The Villages, which features a happy sampling of the tunes that have enchanted our audiences over the past year! Why is the Valerie Gillespie Ensemble so endeared by Villages Jazz Lovers? That's easy- Listen to the recording! First of all, they swing like crazy! Further, Ms. Gillespie and her charges approach their material in the sam no-nonsense, sans-gimmick manner reminiscent (but still VERY original) of the acclaimed 'straight-ahead' Jazz masters of the past. Woodrow Wilson (Woody) Herman used a term to describe one of his later herds that we believes very appropriate here; "Relentless!" A close listen to the contents of this CD reveals, (and of course is even more evident in person), the strident effort by Valerie and her bandmates to respect the composers' original material, while subsequently pursuing it, via improvisation, with a goal of creating a new masterpiece. This approach (essentially the definition of the jazz genre) persists, whether it be a warm, sensitive vocal ballad like 'The Folks Who Live on the Hill' or a real steamer like 'Cherokee!' The relatively mature Villages Jazz crowds have been weaned on this standard and for many it has been missing from their life experience for quite a spell, especially the 'in-the-flesh' versions. The ensemble fulfills that pent-up demand with a flourish! I think it is fair to say that Ms. Gillespie and her cohorts understand, and perhaps more importantly, genuinely respect the gratitude and affection the have been afforded here. Ergo: 'It Takes a Village...' Jazz endures! HAppiness Abounds!

This CD is dedicated to my mother, Jeanne, who was a constant source of inspiration for me, and to my dad, Chuck, who loved her more than life itself. Together they were 'The Folks Who Live on the Hill'.