For those unaware, New York jazz vocalist, lyricist and educator Amy London has just released her brand new recording entitle Alto Madness (out now on the FiveCat label).

The album features London on vocals, Mike Hashim (alto sax), Janice Friedman (piano), Ralph Hamperian (bass), Mike Campenni (drums), Ron Horton (trumpet, flugelhorn), and special guests The Royal Bopsters, marking her first solo album in eight years.

London, a founding member of the Royal Bopsters, the acclaimed four-part harmony group with whom she has toured and recorded two studio albums, features the group as special guests on Alto Madness’s lead single, New York Afternoon. Indeed, the current members are: London, Jeanne O’Connor, Dylan Pramuk and newest member, Tyler Bassett.

London wrote three new vocalese passages for the project — on New York Afternoon, How Can You Lose? and You Blew Out the Flame in My Heart — adding to the more than a dozen vocalese pieces she has written and recorded over the course of her career.

Vocalese is the practice of fitting words to an instrumental improvisation; but rather than drawing on famous solos from earlier recordings, London wrote these new lyrics to fresh performances by members of this band.

“These were brand-new solos that nobody had heard before,” she says. “I could have gone looking for an old Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young solo, but these guys are great soloists, and I thought, Let me write lyrics to their solos.”

1. New York Afternoon [03:58]
2. Key Largo [04:21]
3. How Can You Lose [04:03]
4. Summer Serenade [03:59]
5. Blue Light Boogie [04:59]
6. I’m Glad There Is You [04:22]
7. When Lights Are Low [04:20]
8. Only Trust Your Heart [03:23]
9. You Blew Out The Flame [03:07]
10. A Kiss From You [04:20]
11. Rock Me To Sleep [04:34]

The celebrated NYC jazz vocalist, Broadway performer, opens her new recording on the zestful New York Afternoon and a resplendently articulate Key Largo, and then we are gifted the infectiously-grooved How Can You Lose, and both the decadently sculpted Summer Serenade and the uplifting jazzy blues of Blue Light Boogie.

Along next is the sumptuously sonorous I’m Glad There Is You and the supplely plush When Lights Are Low, and they are then in turn backed seamlessly by the gloriously refulgent Only Trust Your Heart, the set rounding out on the resoundingly emotive You Blew Out The Flame, a warmly enriched A Kiss From You, before coming to a close on the playfully curated Rock Me To Sleep.

Musicians:
AMY LONDON Lead vocals
THE ROYAL BOPSTERS Background vocals on New York Afternoon
AMY LONDON Soprano, JEANNE O’CONNOR Alto
TYLER BASSETT Tenor, DYLAN PRAMUK Bass
MARK McCARRON Guitar
JANICE FRIEDMAN Piano
RALPH HAMPERIAN Bass
MIKE CAMPENNI Drums
RON HORTON Trumpet (trks 1,3,5,7,9,11) Flugelhorn (irks 2,4,8,10)
MIKE HASHIM Alto Saxophone (trks 2,3,4,5,7,8,10)
Tenor Saxophone (trks 1,6,8,9)

Official Purchase Link

Official Website

Amy London @ Facebook