A Cincinnati society band led by trumpeter
Jerry Conrad and featuring vocalist
Liz Antony, this group offers a fairly predictable blend of swing era to more modern standards, some better than decent arrangements from notables as
Al Kiger or
Gordon Brisker, and the nonplussed, ersatz singing of the plain voiced
Antony, who is on every track. The instrumental prowess of this 13-piece group far exceeds the abilities of
Antony, and they are not able to lift her limited range to a higher artistic or inspirational level. At least the charts make things interesting for the musicians, as they use
Kiger's talents to the hilt on the classic ballad "'Round Midnight" and the light cha cha of "Lullaby of Birdland," the latter featuring fine solos from flute player
Rich Landrum, the great guitarist
Kenny Poole and tenor saxophonist
Randy Villars. The solos are also substantial on the
Sonny Rollins calypso "St. Thomas," where multi-layered horns accent the cutesy, sexy side of
Antony, her best profile. In a big band style is
Gene Krupa's rockin' "Boogie Blues," while the light breezy samba take on "Old Devil Moon" shows
Antony quite relaxed. More corny is the
Kurt Weill evergreen "Mack the Knife" with twangy guitar from
Bobby Fischer, ultimately maize colored for "Puttin' on the Ritz" where
Kiger's better arrangement shines as does pianist
Phil DeGreg.
Antony is most imperfect singing the classic swinger "Undecided," and lacking emotional pull for the upbeat but flat title cut, and the string infested ballad "Moonlight in Vermont." A challenge or curveball might give
Antony grist for her vocal mill, but it's likely she's quite comfortable and safe with this format. Too bad, for she ranks as just another average singer, while this band would do quite well on it's own, and that would be a project worth checking out.