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Jack bowers: all about Jazz
Https://Www.allaboutjazz.com/It-Could-Happen-To-You-Christine-Fawson-Self-Produced
A trumpet player who sings or a singer who plays trumpet? Christine Fawson puts those questions to the test (again) on It Could Happen to You, the fifth recording under her leadership, playing trumpet and singing on every one of the album's 11 carefully-mined selections from the Great American Songbook. The obvious answer is that Fawson is both a trumpet player who sings and a singer who plays trumpet, which would be beside the point if she did not do both so marvelously well.
Many another instrumentalist has decided to widen his or her repertoire by adding a voice to the mix, more often than not with less than salutary results. The same cannot be said of Fawson, who is so impressive in either guise that she could make a decent living as a singer (which she has) or trumpet player (ditto). And should she ever need a backup plan, she is also an educator who taught for 14 years at the Berklee College of Music.
Most of the tunes on It Could Happen to You are well known, as are their authors, who include Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, Rodgers, Hart, and the Gershwin brothers. Fawson sings them basically as written, using rhythmic changes and occasional scatting (as well as the trumpet, often muted) for variety. She is aided and abetted by a blue-chip rhythm section: pianist Tim Ray, bassist Dave Zinno and drummer Casey Scheuerell, each of whom is pivotal to the album's overall temper and ambience.
Fawson sings the way she plays trumpet: bright as sunlight, always squarely on-key, with an abundance of warmth and personality. Those indispensable traits hold her in good stead throughout, starting with the album's alluring title song, written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen and introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the 1944 film, And the Angels Sing. Fawson gives Porter's "It's All Right with Me" a merry ride, using the proper blend of discretion and come-hither charm, before tackling what may seem an odd choice, Carmichael and Johnny Mercer's easygoing "Lazybones," which works surprisingly well, thanks in part to superb counterpoint by Ray, who then sits in as Fawson's lone accompanist on Berlin's plaintive "What'll I Do."
Fawson comes out scatting on Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's "My Heart Stood Still," then uses the muted trumpet to announce another Burke and Van Heusen classic, "Like Someone in Love," which was introduced by Dinah Shore in 1944 and popularized a year later by Bing Crosby. She sings the seldom-heard verse on Don Raye and Gene DePaul's "You Don't Know What Love Is" before cruising through Ray's surprisingly upbeat arrangement, and wrings the last ounce of earnestness from Carl Fischerand Bill Carey's "You've Changed." A pair of songs by the Gershwin brothers follow, the first a curiously undervalued treasure, "I Was Doing All Right," from the 1938 film The Goldwyn Follies (superb bass solo by Zinno), the second the far better-known "Oh, Lady Be Good" (wherein Fawson, Ray and Scheurell deliver awesome solos). Fawson neatly wraps the package with another of Porter's many masterworks, "Every Time We Say Goodbye."
When it comes to singing, playing trumpet, connecting with her teammates and simply having a wonderful time doing all of the above, Fawson is a tough act to follow, and It Could Happen to You is a clear-cut winner from start to finish.
gordon Jack: Jazz journal
Both as a singer and instrumentalist California-born Christine Fawson offers here a very fresh look at some well-worn songbook material. She studied at the Berklee School of Music, where she ultimately became professor of brass, ear training, harmony and voice. The great Phil Wilson, who played trombone with Woody Herman in the 60s, became her mentor. (Who can forget his outstanding performances on It’s A Lonesome Old Town and the remake of Bijou with the Herman band?)
As a trumpeter Fawson has listened to Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown and Miles Davis among others, and Frank Sinatra’s sound was “captivating” along with Harry Connick Jr who became her “biggest modern influence” as a singer. A thoroughly well-rounded musician, she has worked with the Syncopation Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Sherrie Maricle’s DIVA Orchestra.
It Could Happen To You is an ideal vehicle for her rich contralto voice, which evinces perfect diction and intonation. A nice touch here is the contrafact arranged by Brad Hatfield, who plays piano with the Boston Pops. It features the leader in a cup mute accompanied by Dave Zinno doubling the line with her. The Latin It’s All Right With Mefinds her getting very close to Lee Morgan’s distinctive harmon sound. She arranged My Heart Stood Still and it reminds me of the hip writing that Roy Kral used to provide for Jackie Cain. With her infallible ear she proves here to be an accomplished scat-singer. LikeSomeone In Love is dressed up as a tango which works really well. You Don’t Know What Love Is is taken a little faster than usual and it features Fawson’s glorious open sound. She creates an intimate late-night mood on the lovely You’ve Changed which includes the rarely heard verse. All highly recommended.
Discography
It Could Happen To You; It’s All Right With Me; Lazybones; What’ll I Do; My Heart Stood Still; Like Someone In Love; You Don’t Know What Love is; You’ve Changed; I Was Doing All Right; Oh, Lady Be Good; Every Time We Say Goodbye (50.45)
Fawson (v, t); Tim Ray (p); Dave Zinno (b); Casey Scheuerell (d). Westwood, Massachusetts, 13 & 14 November 2025.
Independent
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