In the 21st century, male jazz vocalists are a minority -- for every male jazz singer who comes along, there are countless female jazz singers. So when a young male jazz vocalist starts recording, you want to monitor his development closely. Influenced by
Mark Murphy and
Bob Dorough (among others),
J.D. Walter was one of the young jazz-singing males who showed some promise in the late '90s and early 2000s.
Clear Day, recorded in 2000, is an engaging post-bop date that
Walter co-leads with soprano and tenor saxophonist/flutist
Dave Liebman. Many straight-ahead jazz singers would not have the guts to work with
Liebman, an adventurous post-bop/avant-garde soloist and composer who isn't afraid to be left of center. But
Walter shows himself to be up for the challenge when he provides lyrics for two
Liebman pieces ("Beyond the Line" and "Translucence") and scats his way through
Liebman's hauntingly pensive "Mommie Eyes."
Walter also writes lyrics for some melodies of his own, including the playful "Kiesha's Coy" and the clever "Here I Am There I Go." To
Walter's credit, this CD doesn't inundate listeners with warhorses that they have heard time and time again. And even when
Walter and
Liebman (who are joined by pianist
Jim Ridl, bassist Steve Varner, and drummer
Ari Hoenig) do pick a warhorse, they bring something interesting to it. "On a Clear Day," for example, has been recorded countless times, but it has seldom received the type of abstract, mildly avant-garde treatment that
Walter and
Liebman go for. With its inside/outside approach, "On a Clear Day" is the session's most avant-garde offering. But overall, the CD is more inside than outside -- and that's fine for the highly flexible
Liebman, who serves
Walter well throughout this memorable album. ~ Alex Henderson