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		CD Review - Karin Allyson Reprinted from June 2006 Issue -by ANDY PLYMALE I’ve lost my taste for Diana Krall. I’ve lately been on this Karrin Allyson kick, and Krall just sounds too saccharin in comparison—like being offered a glass of Reisling after a fine Cabernet. Forget Krall, I’ll take Karrin! I belatedly discovered Allyson, a Kansas City based jazz singer with about 10 CDs out on the venerable Concord jazz label, a couple years ago after meeting her drummer, Todd Strait, who around that time was relocating from Kansas City to Portland. Curious, I picked up her Ballads CD, dedicated to the ballad recordings of John Coltrane, and was knocked out by her vocalese (wordless vocalizing) on the gorgeous Coltrane tune Naima, among others. But Allyson’s latest CD, Footprints, is just too good to be true. First, in collaboration with songwriter Chris Caswell, she debuts lyrics to the Wayne Shorter jazz standard Footprints, among jazz classics (Jordu, Lazy Bird, Equniox, Never Say Yes, etc.). As if the melody to the bluesy 6/8 Footprints wasn’t infectious enough without lyrics... Allyson then confirms that Portland cult figure Nancy King is a jazz singer’s jazz singer by inviting the sixty-something King to join her on several of the tracks, occasionally trading scat (improvised vocal) solos. And to top it off, jazz singing icon Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross) joins Allyson on two tracks, and pens lyrics to one (Strollin’, on which he also whistles). King and Hendricks both sound great, and Hendricks’ vocal agility really belies his age. The two of them are both featured on the final track, Everybody’s Boppin’. As for Allyson, her vibrato, tone and delivery are all impeccable, and her scat singing is totally swinging. “Infectious”, might be the appropriate adjective overall for the CD. The liner notes for the CD were written by Seattle Times jazz critic Paul de Barros. Allyson recently performed in Yakima at the new Season’s Performance Hall, located downtown in a circa-1920 former Christian Science church that was saved from the wrecking ball by a local philanthropist. While I missed the show, I caught a concert there earlier in the spring, and can attest to the venue’s great acoustics, ambience, etc. (wine is served by the glass, which can be conveniently stowed in the hymnal racks on the backs of the pews). Among upcoming acts at the Season’s are Portland singer/songwriter/pianist/humorist Dave Frishberg, who co-wrote many of the songs from the ABC kids program Schoolhouse Rock, in addition to penning such classics as Peel Me a Grape (recently revived by the aforementioned Diana Krall), My Attorney Bernie, and I’m Hip (June 9), and blues oriented jazz singer (or jazz oriented blues singer) Mose Allison (Your Mind is on Vacation) (June 23). (Allison also will be performing at Jazz Alley in Seattle later in June with Richland High ’61 alumnus Larry Coryell on guitar.) http://seasonsmusicfestival.com.