Karen Young/Michel Donato Second Time Around
(Ursh)
Reviewed by Jeffrey Stoub

It’s not always a good idea to read too much into an album’s title, but in this case it’s unavoidable. When announcing this album (and a related December 1996 concert), Karen Young and Michel Donato made much of their getting back together after six years. Not only is it their second time around, it’s also the second time around for all of the tunes on this album.

But don’t expect your normal mix of jazz standards. Young and Donato have pulled together a surprising group of old and "new" standards (Herbie Hancock’s not the only one adding to the list). Peel Me a Grape and Goodbye, Pork Pie Hat are set against Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing.

Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. Ironically, some of the best jazz playing is on non-jazz pieces like Chuck Berry’s Memphis Tennessee, which both Young and Donato are able to make swing with inspired improvisations. But Send in the Clowns and Milton Nascimento’s Exits and Flags drop flat with little to add to previous versions. Likewise, the title track by Sammy Cahn and a Jimi Hendrix tune, Up From the Skies, worked better for Rickie Lee Jones on her 1991 disc Pop Pop (which seems to have had a fair amount of influence on Young).

Despite some of the odd arrangements, Young has a powerful voice that she applies without hesitation to a wide range of styles. As she does with her choice of tunes, Young also likes to experiment with different sounds to great effect.

Donato lays down some solid bass lines and gets in plenty of excellent riffs. And despite the fact that he doesn’t always have much room to improvise, his style fits well with Young's lilting intervals and daring vocalizing. But while the two together are able to generate plenty of interesting sounds some tunes beg for more instruments (Young’s finger snapping isn't always enough) and don’t seem cut out for this kind of duo.

More about: Second Time Around; Michel Donato; Karen Young