“As a singer, I feel very influenced by instrumentalists and by many classic instrumental songs. It’s tricky to put lyrics to the great, iconic tunes, because you want to do them justice.” –Karrin Allyson

Acclaimed vocalist Karrin Allyson’s latest release, Footprints, her tenth for Concord, marks an artful return to her classic jazz roots. With inspiration from the1962 Blue Note recording, Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley, she notes “That was the album that got me interested in jazz.” With a few exceptions, she selected strong instrumental tracks for songwriter Chris Caswell to pen lyrics, including three tunes from the Wilson/Adderley album (“Never Say Yes,” “Teaneck,” “Unit 7”), two from John Coltrane, the title track from Wayne Shorter and one each from Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Mobley, Nat Adderely, and Sam Jones. Two tunes from Oscar Brown, Junior are presented with the original lyrics; two are provided by scat master Jon Hendricks (Horace Silver’s “Strollin’” and the classic from Hendricks, Lambert and Ross, “Everybody’s Boppin’”), while Allyson proves her own writing skills with lyrics to Duke Jordan’s “Jordu” (retitled “Life is a Groove”). Most tunes (save the Hendricks and Brown tracks) are retitled due to issues over royalties but the liner notes clarify the origins. Allyson and pianist Bruce Barth wrote the arrangements.

The performing cast is as stellar as the writers, with the west coast’s acclaimed songstress Nancy King joining Allyson on six tracks and Hendricks himself appearing on two. The core trio of Barth (piano throughout except Fender Rhodes on “I Found the Turnaround”), Peter Washington (bass) and Allyson’s Kansas City compatriot Todd Strait (drums) is augmented on several tracks by the tenor sax and flute of Frank Wess and Nick Phillips’ trumpet on “Follow the Footprints.”

The set begins with a reworking of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma” as “Something Worth Waiting For,” While this arrangement has none of Dizzy’s Latin groove, it succeeds as a mournful ballad with some lovely piano passages. We’re first introduced to the marvelous scat and vocalese of Nancy King on the snappy rendition of Nat Adderely’s “Never Say Yes,” here retitled “All You Need to Say.” The two voices blend well, in similar register but from different, complementary palettes. Both have a dusky timbre, Allyson with a bit more grit and resonance, King with a bit more honey. The tune starts with a bit of restraint in pacing, picking up steam as the two singers interweave their scat conversation, ending in duet as Peter Washington takes a spritely solo that fits the conversation well. The duo comes back together with King riding above Allyson, zooming up an octave cleverly as the lyric hits “high.”

Nat Adderley has a hand in two additional tracks. The hard bop “I Can’t Say” is based on Adderley’s “Teaneck” and features Allyson with the trio and Frank Wess, who takes it even further into bop heaven. Allyson engages in successive scat duels with Barth and Strait, particularly engaging with the drummer as she pops and crackles in response to his snappy phrases. Perhaps the strongest of the up-tempo tracks, Allyson effectively becomes one of the instruments. Adderley’s bassist, Sam Jones, penned “Unit 7,” reimagined here as the bluesy bop “Give Me a Break.” Barth has one of his finest moments as does Strait, while Karrin scats up a storm, again exchanging jabs with Strait.

Two gems of John Coltrane get exquisite treatment from Chris Caswell’s lyrics. “Lightning” (aka “Lazy Bird”) has all the makings of a new standard worthy of the Great American Songbook. Wess takes a nice twisty tenor solo, while Barth also takes off in swinging spirals. Allyson’s vocals fit well but the track excels as an instrumental with shifting tempos. “Equinox” becomes “A Long Way to Go,” featuring the minor harmonies of Allyson and King. Karrin introduces the blues before King jumps in below (a role reversal from their first joint track). Allyson has a cool, dry tone for the blues but she makes it work here as she did throughout her In Blue recording; she sighs through the outchorus, adding a sense of longing. Without the heavy beat of Coltrane’s original version, the vocal presence is perhaps more up front and less ominous, while Barth’s apparent affinity for the blues maintains a soulful thread.

Three more classic jazz instrumentals get a workout. “I Found the Turnaround” (Hank Mobley’s “Turnaround”) finds Karrin at the piano while Barth creates his own songs on Fender Rhodes. And Allyson plays a mean bluesy piano, making the most vocally and instrumentally of the infectious melody and a chorus that leaves you humming. Similarly swinging, “Life Is a Groove” (Duke Jordan’s “Jordu”) features Allyson’s lyrics and an engaging duet between Karrin and Nancy who alternate verses before joining together with the trio. Peter Washington kicks the bass through a groovin’ solo, and the ladies scat out, weaving together. On “Follow the Footprints,” Caswell takes Wayne Shorter’s lyrical melody and weaves a tale of lost love—following the “footprints” back in time. King’s lower harmony gives the vocal duet a hollow, almost sacred tone, while Barth’s piano provides Evans sheen, and Nick Phillip’s muted trumpet adds to the sense of loss.

Two very different tunes from Oscar Brown, Junior are emblematic of the range of the recording as a whole. Perhaps the most emotive track, “A Tree and Me,” featuring Allyson with King in the background, has a funereal feel enhanced by Washington’s deep ostinato. “But I Was Cool” features Allyson with the trio and Frank Wess on flute. Karrin’s skills as a storyteller are at the fore, while Wess adds key elements to the upbeat tone of the track.

The contributions of Jon Hendricks as composer/lyricist are more substantial than as the father of vocalese. Hendricks is still winsome but vocally a far cry from his heyday. Here he adds a final verse to his original lyrics for Horace Silver’s “Strollin’” and it swings from the git-go. Allyson provides a gritty, sunny charm, while Hendricks sounds every bit of his 85—he can still hit the notes although his pitch wavers; his whistling isn’t much better and seems more of a distraction than enhancement. The instrumental contribution is impeccable, however, as Barth swings gently and sweetly while Washington and Strait provide swinging support. Hendricks’ shortcomings are more effectively countered on the finale, his “Everybody’s Boppin’,” here Lambert and Ross replaced by Allyson and King. With the threesome scatting together, Hendricks’ charm is more evident than on the slower “Strollin’,” and King is herself a monster of vocalese. Strait uncorks some quick rumbling combinations before each vocalist takes a final bop.

Not every great instrumental classic lends itself to vocal expression, and not every track on Follow the Footprints improves on the original. But as a creative endeavor that brings new interpretation to master works, and largely as an opportunity to enjoy the immense talents of Karrin Allyson, as well as the less-known wonders of Nancy King, these are “footprints” we should all be happy to follow.

"There’s nothing better than hearing what you’ve written interpreted by a voice that understands and improves every word.” –Chris Caswell

For more information about Karrin Allyson including her discography, visit www.karrin.com